Girl, 6, missing after being dragged away by crocodile while bathing in river

A schoolgirl is still missing after she was dragged away by a crocodile while bathing with her family in a river in Malaysia.

Cicilia Julan Intik, 6, was splashing around in a river on Bintulu Island when the lurking predator snatched her up and pulled her deeper into the water at around 6:30pm on September 18.

Her horrified grandfather said he saw the moment the crocodile struck, but the attack was too quick for him to react.

The frantic family called the Sarawak fire and rescue department for help, and a team of six firefighters arrived at the scene in the evening.

Search efforts were concentrated on the area around the river jetty, but the rescue team found no sign of the missing youngster.

The search was suspended at 8:30pm due to poor visibility. It resumed on September 19 morning and has entered the sixth day still without leads.

Tatau fire station chief Jankey Jinkat told local media on September 22: 'Today's operation covered an estimated four-mile radius of the Tatau River from the location the victim was reportedly attacked. The search team combed the area along the old Tatau town riverbank, moving upstream and returning to the base in the morning.

'In the afternoon, we extended the search six miles downstream of the Tatau River, up to Kem Pasir Lubuk Pas Tatau.'

He added that the search will be halted on the seventh day if no leads are found.

Crocodile attacks in Malaysia, especially in the states of Sarawak and Sabah, occur primarily in rivers and coastal areas where saltwater crocodiles are prevalent.

These attacks often involve fishermen, villagers, or tourists near crocodile habitats. Due to the rising human-wildlife conflict, the government has implemented measures like awareness campaigns and occasional culling to manage the crocodile population and reduce attacks.