World’s worst crocodile attacks from swamp massacre that left 500 dead to victims drowned in ‘death rolls’
CROCODILES are blood-thirsty, fierce predators who kill 100 people per year - more than five times the amount as sharks.
From a bloody swamp massacre that killed 500, to victims drowned in merciless death rolls - these are the most gruesome attacks the world has even seen.
BLOODY MASSACRE
While World War 2 was raging on and many mass killings were occurring, few were aware of a different kind of devastating slaughter.
The 'Ramree Island massacre' is considered by many to be the worst crocodile attack in history.
The nightmare took place in January 1945 as British troops fought in Burma, now .
The Brit soldiers had pushed 1,000 enemy Japanese troops back and into a swampy mangrove jungle - but little did they know the horror that was about to occur.
read more crocodile attacks
Roughly 100 crocodiles lay in wait "alerted by the din of warfare and smell of blood," according to Naturalist Bruce Stanley Wright, who was present at the chilling scene.
"With the ebb of the tide, the crocodiles moved in on the dead, wounded, and uninjured men who had become mired in the mud,"he added.
It is unclear how many were butchered by the giant reptiles that day, though it is believed 500 men never emerged from the swamp.
Wright said: "The scattered rifle shots in the pitch black swamp punctured by the screams of the wounded men crushed in the jaws of huge reptiles, and the blurred worrying sound of spinning crocodiles made a cacophony of hell that has rarely been duplicated on Earth.
Most read in The Sun
WOMAN'S PIERCING SCREAMS
Another horrifying attack happened more recently in June 2020 when a woman's limbs were retrieved from a crocodiles stomach after it ate her.
The predator had hunted Fatimah, 45 down while she was fishing in a river in North Kalimantan, Indonesia, and was oblivious to the mortal danger she was in.
Friends were shocked when they heard Fatimah's piercing screams and watched in horror as the reptile clamped its jaws around her body and dragged her under the water.
The 19ft giant crocodile was caught the next day after angry locals captured the beast.
Gruesome footage shows locals cutting open the crocodile's stomach and removing the woman's limbs.
Fatimah's mutilated head and other body parts were later found nearby having been discarded by the croc.
THE WRATH OF 'OSAMA'
In Uganda, a monstrous crocodile has 80 people on its kill count including children it snatched - according to terrified residents.
Dubbed ‘Osama’ the 75-year-old creature is blamed for a number of brutal killings - believed to have taken place over 14 years in the small village of Luganga.
Named after the notorious terrorist behind the 9/11 attack, the reptile’s killing spree took place from 1991 to 2005 when it's alleged that it wiped out a tenth of the village's population.
According to reports, the beast would emerge from Lake Victoria - Africa’s largest lake - to snatch kids and swim beneath fishing boats to purposefully capsize them.
It led villagers to become convinced that the creature was "immortal" or even “Satan himself".
Paul Kyewalyanga claimed he was rowing in the back of his boat as his brother Peter fished from the front when Osama climbed in and snatched him.
Paul added: “Peter was clutching the side screaming. They fought for about five minutes until I heard a tearing sound.
“Peter shouted, ‘He’s broken my leg.’ Then he let go and was dragged into the lake.
“A few days later we found his head and his arm.”
TODDLER EATEN ALIVE
In another tragic case a two year old girl suffered a terrible fate when she was savaged alive after falling into a pit of crocodiles on her family farm, according to Cambodian police.
Rom Roath Neary's mother was said to have lost sight of the tot while she was busy caring for her newborn baby in July 2019.
The girl's father Min Min, 35, returned home at 10am and began looking for the missing child.
To his horror he found his daughter's skull stripped of flesh on the ground of a concrete enclosure where the crocs swim in a pool.
Local media showed harrowing pictures of mum-of-three Nay Is, 32, breaking down in tears as she clutched the toddler's remains to her chest.
Police chief Captain Chem Chamnan said: ''Her father found only her skull in the crocodile enclosure, where she was killed by crocodiles.''
She had left the house and gone to play on the land around the crocodile farm, which was behind the property near Siem Reap.
Officers urged other families to take extra care to prevent children from getting into crocodile farms.
BRIT BACKPACKER SAVAGED
Describing another terrifying ordeal a British backpacker said: "I thought I was going to die," referring to when she was savaged by a crocodile in Mexico.
She told how she stared into its menacing eyes before being dragged underwater in a death roll.
Melissa Laurie, 28, "knew she was in trouble" when she first noticed the 10ft croc above the water — and desperately tried to swim away with twin sister Georgia.
Melissa — who has an eight-inch scar on her abdomen from surgery following the attack — told The Sun on Sunday: "I remember screaming underwater.
"And in that moment my mind was racing because I thought I was going to die. I thought I was never going to see my family or my sister again."
Zookeeper Melissa and certified divemaster Georgia, from Sandhurst, Berks, had been swimming in the popular Manialtepec Lagoon with their friend Ani and his brother Gopal.
The group of backpackers had been assured the lagoon was safe by their unlicensed tour guide Recep Aydin.
But shortly after entering the water at 5.30pm, Melissa watched in horror as the croc’s head emerged above the water just 15 metres away.
She said: "I screamed: ‘S**t! It’s a crocodile, we need to turn back immediately.’ I saw its eyes and the shape of its head just above the water and in that moment, I thought, ‘We are in trouble’.
"My heart rate just shot up. It was very hectic at the point.
"My left hand got bitten and I just got dragged underwater."
Melissa was taken into a death roll — a violent twisting which the reptiles use to wrench limbs out of sockets and kill prey.
She said: "I honestly thought I was about to die. I just remember being shaken around a lot.
"I didn’t feel anything, no pain, but I thought my arm had been ripped off where it had bitten.
"My mind was racing with thoughts, that I’m not going to see my family or Georgia and that she’s going to have to deal with repatriating my body back to the UK.
"I don’t remember ever reaching the surface again so I must have passed out."
CHILD SWALLOWED WHOLE
In another killing a parents worst nightmare came true when the body of an eight-year-old boy was cut from a croc's stomach after the 26ft-long beast swallowed him whole in Indonesia.
Dimas Mulkan Saputra was dragged into murky water as his dad frantically swam after the huge reptile, said reports in March 2021.
The boy had been fishing with his father, Subliansyah, when he strayed further from the shore.
The croc suddenly pounced on him in Tempakul River, East Kalimantan.
Seeing the deadly 26ft-long (six metre) reptile dragging Dimas away, Subliansyah swam after the reptile and punched it to try and make it release his son.
Tragically, the animal swallowed little Dimas whole.
The croc was found the next day (March 4) and Dimas' body was cut out fully intact but, sadly, lifeless in a village in Bengalon District.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Recently we told of a crocodile attack capital where 450 people have been eaten alive as maneaters stalk humans for food.
Innocent residents have been eaten alive by the ferocious saltwater crocodiles - some of which can reach a terrifying 26 feet - as officials struggle to address the dangerous situation.
