Sun Sep 14 15:21:59 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article based on the provided text, formatted with a bit of journalistic flair and summarizing the key points:
**Tragedy Strikes Tiruvannamalai: Crocodile Attack Claims Life of College Student**
**TIRUVANNAMALAI, September 14, 2025** – A 17-year-old college student, K. Muniswaran, tragically lost his life in a crocodile attack near the Sathanur dam in Tiruvannamalai district on Sunday morning. The incident occurred while Muniswaran and his friend, K. Sanjay (17), were fishing in the Periyamalai Odai, a stream behind the dam, after taking cattle for grazing.
According to initial reports, the crocodile suddenly surfaced and dragged Muniswaran into the water around 8:30 AM. Sanjay bravely attempted to fend off the reptile by throwing stones, but the crocodile had already inflicted severe injuries. Local residents rushed to the scene upon hearing Sanjay’s cries for help, and alerted police and forest officials.
“Regular warnings have been given to residents along the banks of Thenpennai river to not to venture into the water or dam area due to the presence of numerous crocodiles. The river and the dam are their natural habitat and should not be disturbed,” A. Vishwanathan, forest range officer, Crocodile Farm (Sathanur), told The Hindu.
Muniswaran’s body has been recovered and sent to the Government Medical College Hospital in Tiruvannamalai for postmortem. He was a first-year student at the Government Arts and Science College in Tiruvannamalai town and the son of agricultural workers S. Kannan and K. Vedamani.
Forest officials are reiterating warnings to residents about the dangers of venturing near the Thenpennai river and the dam, which serve as a natural habitat for crocodiles. This incident marks the second crocodile attack resulting in a fatality in the Sathanur area in just over a year, raising concerns about safety and human-animal conflict.
First Piper 