A 48-year-old man from Bihar’s Bhagalpur stunned people around him when he walked into a hospital with a Russell’s viper draped around his neck after being bitten by the venomous snake. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.
Prakash Mandal, a resident of Mirachak village, made his way to JLN Hospital with the deadly reptile gripped in his hand as patients and staff around him gasped in fear.
The now-viral video shows Mandal, wearing a simple vest and dhoti, standing in the hospital’s emergency ward with the snake’s mouth clamped tightly by his hand. To further prevent the venom from spreading, he had tied a cloth around his arm which restricted the blood flow.
In the video, other patients can be seen visibly panicked as they maintained a safe distance. A hospital worker cautiously escorted Mandal to another part of the premises for everyone’s safety.
Eventually, after some persuasion from the medical staff, Mandal released the snake and lay down to receive treatment.
The incident occurred in the flood-affected region of Bhagalpur, where sightings of venomous snakes like Russell’s viper have become frequent.
The severe flood crisis grappled many parts of Bihar earlier this month. Following the floods, dangerous wildlife, including snakes and gharials have been frequently spotted by residents.
According to Google’s Flood Hub – an application that gives real-time flood forecasts – the flood situation near the Koshi River is still above the warning level.