Fear and anxiety have gripped residents of Mavindini Ward in Makueni County after two people were reportedly attacked by a crocodile at Athi River on Tuesday evening.
The incident happened at Nzeveni Kwa Letu in Yekanga Sub-location, where a 35-year-old woman had reportedly gone to fetch water from the river before the attack occurred.
According to residents, the woman was near the riverbank when the crocodile suddenly emerged from the water and dragged her in.
In an effort to save the girl’s life, a 20-year-old man is reported to have dived into the river, but he was also assaulted shortly afterwards.
The incident saw villagers screaming for help as the terrified residents gathered at the riverside as both disappeared into the river.
As per reports by the Kenya Red Cross Society, rescue teams were hurriedly dispatched after receiving the distress calls from the residents.
The search and rescue operations took place on Wednesday morning when the rescue teams searched for the two people in some parts of Athi River.
The rescue mission is supported by the officers of the Kenya Wildlife Service in addition to the administrators and residents.
According to authorities, they are also taking measures to ensure safety and security at the location and also advising the locals not to access certain parts of the river because of the spreading fear among the residents.
The water of Athi River plays a vital role in the lives of the local residents living around the area.
“This river is part of people’s daily life here. Many families depend on it for water, so people are now living in fear,” said one resident during the search operation.
According to local emergency response units, this is the first time an incident of crocodile attack has been recorded this year in the area of Athi River.
Nonetheless, there have been reports of other such attacks last year, where more than three people were reportedly killed in the attacks due to crocodiles.
The latest attack has once again raised concerns about the growing cases of human-wildlife conflict in communities living near rivers and water bodies across the country.
Earlier this year in Turkana, the Kenya Wildlife Service killed a crocodile after a series of attacks on residents, with experts linking the increased presence of the reptiles to rising water levels in major rivers and lakes.
