Bahraich (UP) | A 50-year-old woman, who went missing on her way to a wedding, was killed by a crocodile after she went near a canal linked to the Ghaghara (Saryu) river to relieve herself, officials said on Sunday. Villagers, with the help of forest and police personnel, retrieved the body, officials said.

They said the incident occurred on Saturday evening in the Nishangarha forest range of the Katarniaghat Wildlife Division under Sujauli police station limits, about 80 km from the district headquarters.

Village head Abdul Aziz told PTI that Ketki Devi (50), a resident of Mohkampur Chafaria village, left home to attend a wedding function but did not return. Her family and villagers launched a search, he said.

Police said on Sunday morning, villagers spotted a crocodile feeding on the woman's body about 500 metres from Bridge number 10 in the canal. Aziz suspected the woman had gone near the canal to relieve herself while on her way to the function, where a crocodile dragged her into the water and killed her.

Sujauli SHO Prakash Chandra Sharma told PTI that by the time they recovered the body, a crocodile had completely eaten one of the woman's legs and severely mauled the thigh of the other leg.

"People noticed the body floating in the canal while the crocodile was swimming alongside and feeding on it," Sharma said.

He said police, revenue and forest department officials reached the spot after receiving information, recovered the body, completed the inquest proceedings and sent it for post-mortem examination.

A forest department official said they were investigating the incident and had initiated the process to provide compensation to the victim's family according to the rules.

The incident comes two days after a crocodile emerged from the canal near the Chowdhry Charan Singh Barrage in the same area on Friday night, briefly reaching a road and causing panic among residents.

The forest department later captured the reptile and released it into its natural habitat.

As crocodile movement around canals and water bodies has increased in recent days, forest and irrigation department officials have appealed to people to exercise extreme caution when venturing near such areas.