Asia-Pacific

Australian girl killed by crocodile

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-07-09 13:40

An eight-year-old aboriginal girl was feared killed in a crocodile attack as she collected water from a river in Australia's remote Arnhem Land region, police said on Sunday.

"She was fishing with family and it is believed she went to the river's edge to collect water when she was taken by the croc," a police spokeswoman said.

The attack happened on the Blythe River, between Maningrida and Ramingining, about 500 km (310 miles) east of Australia's northern city of Darwin on Saturday.

Parks and wildlife rangers and members of the police tactical response section were on the way to the region to search for the girl and the crocodile. Police said it was unlikely the girl survived the attack.

Last year, three men were killed in crocodile attacks in Australia.