Both Victims Bitten While Sleeping on the Floor; Referred to MGM Hospital Where They Died
Key Points:
- 18-year-old Souravi Sardar bitten on neck and left-hand finger in Bahadurpur village
- 28-year-old Mini Mahakud’s family captured the snake and brought it to hospital along with her
- Both women were sleeping on the floor when kraits struck in separate incidents
JAMSHEDPUR — Two women have died after being bitten by krait snakes in two separate incidents in Dumaria block of East Singhbhum district, plunging both their villages into grief.
The first victim was Souravi Sardar, 18, a resident of Bahadurpur village in Dumaria block. She was sleeping on the floor of her home when a venomous krait bit her on the neck and on the finger of her left hand. The two bites caused the venom to spread rapidly through her body.
Her family rushed her to the Dumaria Community Health Centre. From there, she was referred to MGM Hospital in Jamshedpur for advanced treatment. Doctors declared her dead upon arrival. Her family refused a post-mortem examination and took her body directly back to the village.
Meanwhile, a second incident occurred in Besarpahadi village, also within Dumaria block. Mini Mahakud, 28, was similarly sleeping on the floor when a krait bit her on the left hand. Her family brought her to the Dumaria CHC, where she received primary treatment before being referred to MGM Hospital.
In a rare development, the family of Mini Mahakud caught the snake after the incident. They put it in a bottle and carried it along with the patient to the hospital. However, doctors said the venom had spread too quickly through her body for them to save her life. She died during treatment. A post-mortem examination of her body was to be conducted on Saturday.
Krait snakebites are common in Kolhan and other rural areas of East Singhbhum during the summer and monsoon months. The venomous reptiles are found in large numbers across Kolhan. The practice of sleeping on the ground, common in rural households, makes residents especially vulnerable to such attacks. Several deaths are reported each year in the region due to wildlife encounters, including snakebites.
A sense of mourning pervaded both villages following the incidents. Families of the two women were said to be devastated. The deaths drew attention to the persistent danger of snakebites in rural East Singhbhum and the challenges in providing timely medical intervention in remote areas.
