A Protestant pastor performing a mass lakeside baptism has been attacked and killed by a crocodile in Ethiopia.

Docho Eshete and about 80 members of his congregation had gathered at the southern end of Lake Abaya, close to a national park where enormous crocodiles were seen covering the shore.

Normally, the animals are a tourist’s delight but lately, lake Abaya has experienced a shortage of fish, and the crocodiles have become aggressive towards humans, who have little chance to see them in the lake’s murky red waters.

A resident of the nearby town of Arba Minch told reporters:  “Eshete had baptised the first person and he passed on to another one. All of a sudden, a crocodile jumped out of the lake and grabbed the pastor.”

Confirming the incident, a police officer in the in the area, Eiwnetu Kano said Eshete was not that fortunate as attempts by fishermen and residents of the town to rescue him from the crocodile’s jaws were futile.

Kano said they only managed to save the pastor’s body from the crocodile – dragging it from the lake with fishing nets as the crocodile disappeared into the water.

Last month, a crocodile in  Zimbabwe ripped off the arm of a young woman, Zanele Ndlovu , five days before her marriage to her British fiance, Jamie Fox.