A Masvingo woman was dragged alive by a crocodile into a dam and devoured as neighbours watched.
Her body parts were recovered the next morning.
The crocodile attacked Etina Tongoona of Garai Village under Chief Nyajena on Sunday at around 4PM while she was doing laundry in Bangala Dam with Ms Mildred Dube (44).
Tongoona was standing on a rock while washing clothes in the dam.
Masvingo police spokesperson Inspector Charity Mazula said villagers retrieved parts of her body the following day.
“Two brave villagers retrieved her right leg first. Later they found the rest of her body which had a badly mauled left breast about 500 m away from the scene.”
Insp Mazula said on Sunday evening the late Tongoona left home with her friend, Ms Dube to do laundry at Bangala Dam in the same area.
Tongoona was in the water while standing on a rock but her friend used a bucket at the edge of the dam.
Insp Mazula said Tongoona saw the crocodile, some few metres from where she was standing and alerted Ms Dube before saying she must ignore her statement as the animal had disappeared.
It is alleged Ms Dube later heard Tongoona screaming and saw a crocodile dragging her into the water.
Mr Sibonginkosi Mazwezwe, who works at Bangala Dam said Ms Dube tried in vain to scare away the animal.
He said Ms Dube returned to the village and informed two villagers, Mr Garai Mikairi (62) and Mr Runesu Munonyanya (42) who rushed to the scene.
“The two brave villagers wasted no time and got into the water, pelted the crocodile with stones but it would not let go of its prey. Undeterred the animal further dragged the body into the water away from the two.
“The two were forced to abandon the rescue mission as it had become dark. On Monday at around 2AM, Mr Mikairi and Mr Munonyanya returned to the dam and managed to locate the woman’s right leg before retrieving the whole body whose left breast was disfigured, some 500m away from the scene,” said Mr Mazwezwe .
