Couple Dies Of Snakebite While Asleep In Odisha’s Keonjhar

Bhubaneswar: In a heart-wrenching incident, a couple lost their lives after being bitten by a venomous snake while they slept inside their home in Odisha’s Keonjhar district. The tragedy occurred in Bayahatu village, located along the Odisha-Jharkhand border under Jagannathpur police station limits.

The deceased were identified as Nani Jarai and his wife Kabita Jarai. According to local sources, the incident took place in the dead of night when the snake slithered into their mud house and bit the couple as they lay asleep on the floor.

Family members discovered them unresponsive early Thursday morning and immediately rushed them to the Champua Sub-Divisional Hospital. However, doctors pronounced both dead on arrival.

The sudden deaths have plunged the tribal-dominated village into grief and reignited concerns about the growing number of snakebite-related fatalities in the region. Local residents mourned the couple’s demise and demanded urgent preventive measures from the district administration.

Snakebites are a recurrent menace in Keonjhar’s rural and forested areas, particularly during the monsoon season when snakes seek shelter in human habitations to escape rising water levels or cooler temperatures. Public health experts and villagers alike have emphasised the need for intensified awareness campaigns on snakebite prevention and first-aid measures.

“Every year during the rains, we lose people to snakebites. There are hardly any anti-venom stocks in remote health centers, and by the time patients reach a hospital, it’s often too late,” said a local resident.

Health authorities said they are taking stock of the situation. “We are investigating the incident and have directed local officials to inspect nearby areas for potential snake habitats. Anti-venom stocks at primary health centers will be reviewed and replenished as necessary,” a senior district health official said.