MIRI, Oct 29 — An oil palm plantation worker was viciously attacked by a crocodile and dragged into a river in Suai this morning.
The victim, identified as Muhlis Tentra, 47, from Makassar, Indonesia, was fetching water to fill a pesticide sprayer when he was attacked around 10am.
Prior to the incident, Muhlis and several colleagues had been spraying weeds in the Tanjung Payung plantation.
It is understood that after filling his weedicide sprayer, Muhlis was moving up from the riverbank when he was suddenly grabbed by a crocodile and dragged into the river.
A co-worker who was waiting nearby witnessed the horrific attack.
When contacted, Batu Niah police station chief Sgt Rashid Othman confirmed receiving a report on the incident.
“A police team has gone to the location to obtain further details while awaiting an official report from the victim’s friends or employers,” he said.
A Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson said upon receiving an emergency call at 11.34am, a team from the Batu fire station went to the plantation to conduct a search and rescue (SAR) operation.
Batu Niah fire station head Rary Binjie told Utusan Borneo that the SAR operation is still underway and as of 2.30pm, the victim had yet to be found.
He added the SAR team is facing communication problems at the location due to the poor mobile signal reception. — The Borneo Post
