Pattamundai: A 47-year-old woman has gone missing after she went to a river for her morning ablutions in Kendrapada district Monday, with family members and residents suspecting that she was dragged away by a crocodile.
The woman, identified as Suchitra Das of Damodar Patana village under Alapua panchayat in Pattamundai block, worked as a cook at Damodar Patana Nodal High School. She left for the river at around 5 am as she was preparing to join observances on the first Monday of the holy month of Shravan.
When she did not return home for several hours, her family and villagers launched a search. They found her bucket, slippers and toothbrush on the riverbank, raising fears that she might have been attacked by a crocodile.
Police and fire services personnel conducted a search operation in the river after being alerted, but no trace of the woman was found till 5 pm. Residents said crocodile sightings have increased in local rivers after floodwaters receded.
With flood-related disruptions affecting water supply, many villagers have been relying on river water for daily needs.