Bhubaneswar, Sept 8: A woman and her son have gone missing inside Bhitarkanika National Park, sparking fears of a possible crocodile attack. The incident came to light after Anjana Mirdha (45) and her son Ratindra (18) from Debendra Narayanpur village failed to return home after venturing into the forest five days ago to catch crabs.

According to reports, the duo had accompanied fellow villagers Ahalya and Chandra into the forest. While the latter two safely returned home the same evening, Anjana and Ratindra never came back. It is believed that they had travelled around 10 kilometres deep inside the mangrove forest, an area known for its dense crocodile population.

The family and villagers launched a frantic search on their own for several days before reporting the matter to Rajnagar police. A village meeting was held, and suspicions were raised that the missing duo might have been dragged away by a crocodile.

The forest department, informed only last night, began a search operation today. Over 10 officials, accompanied by Ahalya and Chandra, scoured the area but found no trace. The search continues amid mounting concerns.

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