Deadly Snake Bites 3-Year-Old Girl, Her Brother Sleeping With Mother; Both Children Dead

An 11-year-old boy and his 3-year-old sister died after being bitten by a deadly snake at their home in India.

The siblings, identified as Abhisek and Bhumika, were sleeping beside their mother in the wee hours of Saturday when the incident took place. Abhisek woke his mother up and complained of excruciating pain in the leg. When his mother checked, she noticed a fresh wound on his leg that looked similar to snakebite, Odisha TV reported.

The woman immediately informed her other family members, who found a viper slithering in the bedroom. The family members rushed the boy to a nearby hospital for treatment. He was transferred to another hospital where he died while undergoing treatment. The incident took place in the eastern state of Odisha.

In the meantime, the boy’s younger sister, who was at home when her brother was getting treated at the hospital, also complained of pain and soon fell unconscious at home. The police arrived at the scene and pronounced her dead. Investigation revealed she was bitten by the same viper that had bitten her brother, United News of India reported.

A case of unnatural death was filed and the girl’s body was sent for an autopsy. Her brother’s body remained at the hospital.

Meanwhile, the family members called the snake catchers, who arrived at the residence and rescued the reptile.

Russell's viper is a species of venomous snake, which is native to the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the most dangerous snakes found in Asia, causing thousands of fatalities each year. A person bitten by the reptile can experience several symptoms including severe pain, swelling, vomiting, dizziness and kidney failure.

In a similar incident in the southern Indian state of Telangana last year, a boy died and his brother was in serious condition after a deadly snake bit them while they were sleeping on the floor along with their parents. One of the boys complained of severe stomach pain, following which the parents pulled away the blanket and found a common krait snake under it. As the parents were preparing to rush the boy to the hospital, his brother also complained of stomach pain. While one of them died on the way to the hospital, the other remained in a critical condition at the time.