A nine-year-old girl died on Saturday morning following a crocodile attack at Mazwa village in the Kavango West region.

The deceased has been identified as Anna Kakuvi.

Regional police commander commissioner Julia Sakuwa-Neo says the incident occurred at around 11h00, while Kakuvi and three other children, aged eight to 14, were tending to cattle near the river.

Witnesses say the attack happened when Kakuvi stepped into the water to wash her feet.

"The crocodile attacked the child by whipping her with its tail before disappearing into deep water with her," Sakuwa-Neo states.

The other children immediately ran home to alert their parents, who contacted the police while community members launched a search party.

Kakuvi's body was later recovered some distance from the site of the attack and transported to the Bunya mortuary for an autopsy.

The next of kin of the deceased have been notified and police investigations into the matter continue.