Two separate snakebite incidents in the Nanta area across the river in Kota, Rajasthan, have claimed the lives of two young children, leaving the locality in a state of fear. The children who died have been identified as five-year-old Prashant and nine-year-old Vishu, residents of the Badgaon and Parshwanath Apartment localities within Nanta. The back-to-back deaths, so close in time, have unsettled residents of the low-lying, riverside neighbourhood.
Bitten in two unrelated incidents
According to the information available, the two children were bitten by snakes in two unrelated incidents. As soon as they were bitten, family members rushed both children to hospital for treatment. Despite efforts by doctors, neither child could be saved, and both succumbed during treatment. News of the deaths sent both families into mourning, with relatives breaking down in grief. The manner in which the two incidents unfolded independently, in different corners of the same locality, has added to the sense of alarm among neighbours.
Mother Rampyari's condition remains critical
In a further blow, Prashant's mother, Rampyari, was also bitten by a snake in the same incident. She was rushed to hospital as well, where her condition remains serious. A team of doctors is keeping continuous watch over her health as treatment continues. Doctors have not yet indicated when her condition might stabilise, and the family is anxiously awaiting updates from the hospital. Even as she grieves the loss of her son, Rampyari herself is now fighting for her life.
Police investigation and postmortem
On being informed of the incidents, police from the Nanta police station reached the spot and gathered details of both cases. The bodies of the two children have been kept in the mortuary of Kota's MBS Hospital. Police are completing the necessary legal formalities, after which the bodies will be handed over to the families once postmortem examinations are conducted. No further legal complications have been reported in either case so far. The Nanta police station is separately investigating both incidents to establish the exact circumstances in which the children were bitten.
Why snakebite cases rise during the monsoon
During the monsoon season, snakes and other venomous creatures are often forced out of their waterlogged burrows and end up moving into residential areas, raising the risk of snakebite incidents. According to locally available figures, more than half a dozen people have already died of snakebite this monsoon season alone, while more than a dozen people have been bitten by snakes so far this year. The steady stream of such incidents has heightened concern among people living in populated localities. Local residents say the same drainage channels and open plots that flood every monsoon have repeatedly served as escape routes for snakes fleeing submerged burrows. Experts are advising residents to keep their homes and surrounding areas clean and to maintain distance immediately if a snake is spotted.
