Jajpur, April 2: Two people narrowly escaped death after being attacked by crocodiles while near the Kharasrota River in Rasulpur block of Odisha. The incidents occurred when the victims had gone to the river for fishing and bathing.

The first attack took place on April 1, when Gurucharan Dehuri from the Harichandanpur area in Keonjhar district and his friend were attacked by a crocodile lurking in the river. Despite severe injuries, Gurucharan miraculously survived the attack. He managed to escape from the crocodile's grip and reached safety, expressing gratitude for what he called divine intervention.

On Thursday, a similar incident occurred when Pratap Mallik, a resident of Ghollapur village in the Kuakhia police station area, was attacked while bathing in the river. The crocodile struck him from behind, but Pratap fought back and managed to defend himself by grabbing a nearby stone, which helped him break free from the creature's jaws. Both men sustained deep bite marks and were later admitted to Jajpur District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) for medical treatment.

Local residents have voiced concerns over the rising number of crocodile attacks in the region. They are calling for urgent action from the forest department to ensure the safety of people living along the riverbanks. Authorities are being urged to implement measures to prevent further crocodile attacks and protect the local population.