Snakebite Case / Banded Krait Bite Claims Lives of Mother and Child in Odisha's Gajapati District

Paralakhemundi, Aug 7: A woman and her 7-year-old son died on Friday after they were allegedly bitten by Banded Kraits while sleeping at their home in Odisha's Gajapati district, a source said.

The incident occurred at Kadambatal village under Jalang panchayat in Rayagada block. The woman's husband and their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter escaped unhurt.

According to the source, Ajay Kumar Badaraita was sleeping at home on Thursday night along with his wife Lalita (30), their 7-year-old son Amit and their toddler daughter when two Banded Kraits entered the house and bit Lalita and Amit.

Victims Shifted To Hospital
The cries of the mother and son woke Ajay, who reportedly saw two snakes moving inside the house. Family members immediately rushed the victims to the Rayagada Community Health Centre.

As their condition deteriorated, both were referred to the Gajapati District Headquarters Hospital at Paralakhemundi for advanced treatment. However, Lalita and Amit succumbed while undergoing treatment.

Ajay and the couple's one-and-a-half-year-old daughter were unharmed.

Also Read: Flood Recedes, Deadly Visitors Move In: Venomous Cobra Found Inside Bhadrak Home

Village Mourns Tragic Loss
The deaths have cast a pall of gloom over Kadambatal village, with residents mourning the loss of the mother and child.

All About Banded Kraits
Locally called 'Rana' in Odia, striking banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus) are commonly found in the humid plains and villages of eastern India -- from West Bengal and Odisha to Assam and the Northeast. This large, black-and-yellow elapid is highly venomous yet usually shy. Its neurotoxic bite can trigger rapid paralysis and respiratory failure.

Experts urge victims to stay calm, immobilise the limb without tourniquets, and rush to hospital for polyvalent antivenom -- the only proven treatment -- avoiding cuts, suction or folk remedies.