Dead snake’s bite kills 18-year-old girl in MP’s Morena

Morena (Madhya Pradesh): In a freak incident, an 18-year-old girl died of a snakebite in Morena district on Sunday, moments after the snake had been cut into pieces by a fodder-cutting machine, police said.

The incident took place in Naudanda village under the Bamsauli panchayat area of Sabalgarh, around 65 km from the district headquarters, according to Rampur police station SHO Rammantra Gupta.

Police said the victim, Bharti Kushwaha, was cutting green fodder at her home when a snake, hidden in the pile, got trapped in the machine and was sliced into three parts. While she was lifting the fodder, the severed head of the snake bit her hand.

Her family initially took her to traditional healers in nearby villages for treatment. When her condition worsened, she was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival, the SHO said.

Authorities said a proposal for financial aid to her family will be sent to the government as per rules.

Experts explain that even after death, a snake’s bite reflex can remain active for a short time due to residual nerve activity, a survival instinct that can still deliver venomous bites.

(with agency inputs)