A 12-year-old boy in India was tragically killed by a crocodile while washing in a river with his uncle, sparking a desperate but failed rescue by locals
A boy of 12 has died after being attacked by a crocodile in front of his uncle as they washed their hands in a river. The horror unfolded at around 6pm on Thursday (July 16) in Baundi, in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, leaving horrified onlookers watching from the riverbank.
The young boy, named only as Sunil, had spent the afternoon helping his uncle plant rice seedlings in a nearby paddy field. On their journey home to Tikuri, they stopped at the Ghaghara River to wash away the day’s dirt.
But the routine task quickly turned into a nightmare as they stood at the water’s edge when the crocodile suddenly emerged from the river, seizing Sunil by the leg and dragging him into the current.
Sunil desperately struggled to free himself while his uncle, Vijay Raj Singh, screamed for help. Alerted by the cries, nearby farmers and villagers rushed to the scene.
In a frantic bid to make the reptile release the boy, they threw bricks, stones, and sticks at it. However, the crocodile overcame their efforts, dragging Sunil into deeper water before disappearing from sight.
Local residents launched a desperate search using long bamboo poles to probe the murky water. They eventually located Sunil and recovered his body at around 10pm.
Authorities later confirmed he had suffered catastrophic injuries to his right leg and abdomen. Sunil, who lost both of his parents several years ago, leaves behind a brother and two sisters.
State authorities have announced they will compensate the grieving family with 400,000 INR (£3,091). The tragedy highlights the daily dangers faced by families in the region.
Despite the known presence of crocodiles, hundreds of villagers along the Ghaghara River have no choice but to rely on the waterway for their daily lives.