On Sunday afternoon, a 52-year-old woman named Mekli Bhilala went to the banks of Vishwamitri river in Vadodara to graze her cattle. One of her cattle strayed to the opposite side of the river bank, prompting her to enter the river to bring it back. While crossing the river, a massive crocodile attacked her.

The woman reportedly struggled briefly with the crocodile, but later disappeared into the river. Hearing her screams, villagers gathered at the scene and raised an alarm. Despite efforts by the Vadodara Fire Brigade, no trace of the woman was found.

On Monday, the Forest Department once again sought assistance from the fire brigade to locate the woman. The Panigate fire team searched a three-kilometer stretch of the river, but there were no signs of the woman. During the fire brigade’s operation, crocodiles appeared near the riverbank and had to be driven away.

The fire brigade extended the search from Kamrol to Kotali and Mangrol villages. Meanwhile, three crocodiles were spotted near the riverbank during the operation, but they fled due to the noise from the rescue boat and other activities.

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