On Camera, Crocodile Drags 12-Year-Old UP Boy Into River, Kills Him In Front Of Uncle

A 12-year-old boy died after a crocodile dragged him into a river in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich while he was washing his hands and face.

The incident, which was captured on camera, took place on Thursday evening.

The boy, identified as Sunil Singh, had accompanied his uncle to a paddy field for transplantation work. Before returning home, he went to the Ghaghara River to wash his hands and face when a crocodile suddenly emerged from the water and attacked him.

The reptile grabbed the boy and took him into the river. Sunil's uncle and villagers present at the scene rushed to rescue him and attempted to pull the child to safety, but the animal dragged him into deeper waters.

Police have confirmed the authenticity of a clip, which captures parts of the incident that claimed the child's life.

India????

This tragic incident occurred near the Ghaghara River in Tikuri village, Bahraich district, Uttar Pradesh, where a 12-year-old boy named Sunil was attacked by a crocodile while washing his hands and feet after transplanting paddy. The crocodile seized the boy in its jaws… pic.twitter.com/aTc5zsNbbM

— Nature Chapter (@NatureChapter) July 17, 2026

"I jumped into the river and managed to grab his hand. I remained in the river for nearly seven minutes trying to pull him back. But the crocodile was much stronger and dragged him into deeper waters. I could not save him," his uncle, Vijay Raj Singh, told an English daily.

After a search that lasted several hours, villagers recovered the boy's body from the river at around 10 pm. Officials said the crocodile had partially devoured the body. "The victim's right leg and the portion below the waist had been eaten," Forest Ranger Saqib Ansari said.

Sunil, a Class 6 student, had lost both his parents and was the only brother among three sisters. Police sent the body for a post-mortem examination on Friday. According to sub-divisional magistrate Prakash Singh, the family will receive Rs 4 lakh as compensation under a government relief scheme.

The latest incident came months after another fatal crocodile attack in Gujarat's Vadodara district. In May, 22-year-old Mithun Maheshbhai Vasava was grazing cattle near Kagdipura village in Waghodia taluka before being dragged into the Dev River by a crocodile. The attack reportedly occurred when he approached the riverbank to drink water.