Bhubaneswar, May 14 -- A 54-year-old woman narrowly escaped death after fighting off a saltwater crocodile that attacked her while she was washing utensils in a river near Odisha's Bhitarkanika National Park today, forest officials said.
The incident took place at the mangrove-covered Petachela village under the Mahakalapada forest range in Kendrapara district.
The victim, identified as Chabi Bhukta, had entered the Ramachandi river for washing utensils when the crocodile suddenly grabbed her hand and attempted to drag her into deep water.
Recalling the terrifying encounter from her bed at the Mahakalapada Community Health Centre, Bhukta said she screamed for help and fought back by attacking the reptile's eyes with a spoon she was carry...