Nine-month-old boy dies of snake bite

The child's father, who runs a welding business, had gone to his room to sleep after dinner. Mattresses were laid out on the floor for the night. After heavy rains on Thursday night, a poisonous snake managed to get into the room. The child was sleeping on the mattress next to his mother when he was bitten by the snake.

As the snake turned to leave, its tail brushed against the child's mother, waking her up. To her horror, she found that her child was bleeding from the ear. She quickly realized what had happened and saw the snake leave the room. She raised the alarm and took the child to the hospital, but he succumbed to his illness on the way there.

The baby's grandfather, a senior Akali Dal leader, said his daughter and his wife are currently abroad and the child's last rites will be performed on Sunday after their return from Australia.