Tragedy as crocodile kills plantation worker

A woman working on a palm oil plantation in central Indonesia has been killed by a crocodile, according to local authorities. Her body was later retrieved from the animal’s grasp after an extensive search.

The incident occurred in West Kalimantan province on the island of Borneo, where the 44-year-old victim was working alongside a colleague. The crocodile attacked, biting her left hand and dragging her into a ditch, police said.

The colleague attempted to free her from the reptile’s jaws but was overpowered and ran to seek help from the authorities in Ketapang, a coastal district.

“After a 90-minute search, the victim’s body was found,” Ketapang police chief Bagus Tri Baskoro said in a statement late Thursday. He added that the crocodile released the woman’s remains when rescuers approached. The body was discovered not far from the scene of the attack.

Indonesia, home to multiple crocodile species, regularly records fatal attacks by the reptiles.

Borneo, an island shared by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, is known for its dense jungles and diverse wildlife. However, activities such as palm oil farming and logging have faced criticism for encroaching on the island’s rainforests.

In a similar incident in August, a crocodile killed a 54-year-old woman bathing in a river on the Maluku Islands. In 2018, nearly 300 crocodiles were slaughtered by a mob in Papua following the death of a man killed by one of the animals.

AFP