Sri Vijaya Puram, June 19: A 25-year-old man from Miletilak in South Andaman is feared missing after a suspected crocodile attack near a creek on Wednesday evening, prompting an extensive search operation by authorities and local residents.
The missing individual has been identified as Deepak Kujur, a resident of Miletilak. According to initial reports, Kujur had gone fishing and reportedly entered the water to move his boat when the incident occurred. Witnesses and local residents alleged that a saltwater crocodile attacked him and dragged him into the creek.
The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, with residents expressing concern over the increasing frequency of crocodile sightings in and around water bodies located close to human settlements.
Soon after information about the incident was received, teams from the Police Department, Forest Department, and local villagers launched a coordinated search operation in an attempt to locate the missing youth. Search efforts continued late into the evening, with authorities combing the surrounding creek areas.
Officials have not yet recovered the missing person and further details are awaited as the search operation progresses.
The incident has once again brought the issue of human-wildlife conflict into focus in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where saltwater crocodiles are commonly found in creeks, mangrove areas, and coastal waters. While crocodiles are a protected species, encounters between humans and the reptiles have periodically resulted in injuries and fatalities, particularly in areas where fishing and other livelihood activities take place near crocodile habitats.
Forest Department officials are expected to assess the circumstances surrounding the incident as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of future human-crocodile encounters.
Search operations were continuing at the time of filing this report. Authorities have appealed to the public to exercise caution while venturing near creeks, mangrove belts, and other water bodies known to be inhabited by saltwater crocodiles.
