Kerala snakebite deaths | 64-year-old man succumbs during treatment

Kollam (Kerala): The snakebite death toll in Kerala rose further after a 64-year-old man undergoing treatment following an envenomation died at a hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, police said.

The deceased was identified as Rajendran, a native of Munroe Island near here, who was bitten by a Russell’s viper at his daughter’s residence in Arinalloor in Kollam district last week.

Police said Rajendran, who was partially blind, was bitten by the snake outside the house when he stepped out after dinner.

He alerted his relatives, who killed the viper and rushed him to a nearby hospital, where anti-venom was administered.

As his condition worsened, he was shifted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital, where he died on Friday morning, police said.

Police have initiated an investigation into the incident.

The body will be handed over to relatives after post-mortem examination.

In the past two weeks, multiple snakebite deaths have been reported across Kerala, including those of three children in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kasaragod.

Experts have advised people to remain cautious as snakes are venturing closer to houses amid rising temperatures in search of cooler surroundings and prey.