A villager was killed by a vicious crocodile in a river in Malaysia.

Chaong Baringai, 67, was filling his pesticide tank with water when the reptile snapped him up then dragged him into the Skrang River in Betong, Sarawak State, on October 14.

Chaong's wife had been with him and witnessed the horrifying attack, but was unable to stop the savage reptile from sinking its teeth into her husband. She ran back to the village and reported the incident to authorities.

A spokesman for the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said in a statement: 'The incident occurred at around 10:28 am. The victim's wife witnessed the terrible incident firsthand. She said the victim did not have time to fill the tank with water. However, a large crocodile suddenly appeared from the river and lunged at him.'

Onlookers found the beast floating around in the river, with no sign of the missing villager. They later reported seeing the predator dragging the man upstream.

Local police, the Civil Defence Force, and dozens of volunteers combed through the river but had difficulty locating Chaong's remains due to strong currents and murky waters.

His corpse was finally found on October 15, near some tall grass along the riverbank.

The Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department said: 'The body was found around 10 metres away from where the attack occurred. He had bite wounds on his neck and head.'

Officers have recovered Chaong's body, which was taken to the Sri Aman Hospital for a post-mortem examination.

There are estimated to be around 1,000 to 2,000 crocodiles in Malaysia, with the majority found in the state of Sarawak on Borneo. The two main species are the saltwater crocodile and the Siamese crocodile.

The saltwater crocodile is the largest living crocodile species and is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Siamese crocodile is listed as Critically Endangered.

Crocodile populations in Malaysia have declined in recent years due to habitat loss, poaching, and human-crocodile conflict.