In a bizarre incident, a Class VIII student died of snakebite after being bitten in his sleep at Jyotiba Phule BC Welfare Hostel at Kurupam in Vizianagaram district in the early hours of Friday. The student was identified as Mantini Ranjit Kumar of Dalaipet village.
Two of his classmates, E. Vamsi of Jigaram and Vangapandu Naveen of Jaggunaidupet village, were also bitten by the snake. All three were rushed to a private hospital in Vizianagaram after being administered first aid.
While Ranjit died en route to the hospital, Vamsi and Naveen made it to the hospital where they are are battling for life. Their condition had reportedly taken a turn for the worse due to the time taken to shift them from Kurupam to Vizianagaram, a distance of nearly 80 km.
The incident caused an uproar among the parents and representatives of various political parties. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Vizianagaram Parliamentary Constituency president Kimidi Nagarjuna blamed the State government for the death of the student. He demanded that the government pay compensation of ₹25 lakh to Ranjit’s family and to ensure that the other two students were given the best medical treatment. Lok Satta Party State president Bhisetti Babji, CPI leader Bugata Ashok, and Aam Aadmi Party Vizianagaram district convener K. Dayanand enquired about the health of Vamsi and Naveen at the hospital.
Vizianagaram Joint Collector R. Mahesh Kumar told reporters that the district administration tried its best to ensure quick treatment to the three students.
“After being given first aid at the Community Health Centre (CHC) of Kurupam, the children were shifted to Parvatipuram area hospital for better treatment. On the suggestion of doctors at Parvatipuram, we shifted them to Tirumala Hospital for better treatment. Unfortunately, one student died but the condition of the two others is stable,” he added. Collector A. Suryakumari directed BC Welfare Department officials to verify the condition of all the hostels and submit a detailed report to her in a couple of days.
