Snakebite kills 6-year-old

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

A six-year-old boy died after being bitten by a snake while playing at home. In a fit of grief and rage, his father bit the snake in retaliation, severely injuring it. The tragic incident occurred in Nimbayati village, Soygaon taluka, on Wednesday afternoon.

The deceased has been identified as Prathamesh Rathod. Due to unseasonal rains, snakes have been emerging from their burrows. Around 1 pm, one such snake entered the Rathod household and bit the child. On hearing his son’s screams, Ganesh Rathod (30) rushed in, spotted the snake, and bit it in anger. He then immediately took Prathamesh to Soygaon rural hospital, but due to the unavailability of antivenom, doctors referred him to Jalgaon. Unfortunately, the child died en route around 2 pm. The village was engulfed in grief as Prathamesh’s final rites were performed at 8 pm. Villagers have appealed to the revenue department to extend financial assistance to the bereaved Rathod family.