Kodaly: Five baby snakes have so far been found at a house in Kodaly, where a recent snakebite incident claimed the life of a child and left another hospitalised. The family has since been gripped by fear and distress.

Jonsi, mother of the children, said the situation had left them emotionally shattered. “I have lost my younger son. The elder one is currently undergoing treatment in hospital and recovering. I do not have the courage to bring him back here. The snake seen on Wednesday could have been stepped on by my daughter; but she withdrew her foot after seeing it writhing. We are unable to find any peace of mind in that house,” she said, weeping.

Last Sunday, two sons of Siljo and Jonsi, residing at the Kavungal house in Kodaly, were bitten by snakes while asleep. The younger child, Aljo, died as a result of the bite, while the elder son, Anosh, remains under treatment in hospital. On the same day, a baby cobra was found inside the house.

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In the days that followed, four more baby snakes were found. By Thursday night, due to growing fear, the family had moved to a neighbouring house for safety.

On Friday, officials from the ‘Sarpa’ team and the Forest Department inspected the property. They examined the bathroom adjoining the room where snakes had been sighted, lifting floor tiles and checking the surrounding areas, but found no snakes. Earlier searches conducted by the Forest Department after Aljo’s funeral had also yielded no results. 

According to reports, the children were bitten while sleeping alongside their parents on Sunday night. A baby snake had been seen in the bedroom that same day. On Monday, another was observed entering through a gap between the bathroom floor tiles.

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On Wednesday evening, around 7:30 pm, a third baby snake was found inside the bedroom. Two more were spotted on Thursday, one in the bedroom and another in the bathroom.

The Sarpa team has concluded that the snakes may be entering the house through a small opening near the bathroom’s water drainage outlet. Officials have advised the family to seal the bathroom floor and surrounding areas completely with concrete to prevent further entry.