Eight-Year-Old Boy Dies After Cobra Bite While Sleeping at Home in Kerala

An eight-year-old boy died after a suspected snakebite while he was sleeping inside his house in Azhoor near Chirayinkeezhu in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district early on Thursday, police said. The incident has once again raised concern over rising snakebite deaths in residential areas in the state.

The deceased, Dikshil , was the son of Dileep and Anu of Azhoor. According to police and family members, the child was sleeping in a room with relatives when he woke up around 2.30 am complaining that something had bitten him .

The family soon noticed bite marks on his leg and rushed him to the Chirayinkeezhu Taluk Hospital . His father later said the boy was conscious and speaking while being taken to the hospital , but alleged that the child did not receive adequate attention initially.

After primary treatment , doctors referred the child to the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram as his condition worsened rapidly. However, he died before reaching or shortly after arrival at the hospital , officials said.

Following the incident, neighbours and local residents searched the house and found an Indian spectacled cobra in the room where the boy had been sleeping , leading authorities to strongly suspect that the snake had bitten him during the night.

Police said the family was living in a temporary house , which increased the possibility of snakes entering the premises through gaps or openings. The child’s body has been kept at the medical college hospital for post-mortem examination , and police have registered a case of unnatural death .

The tragedy comes amid growing concern over snakebite incidents in Kerala . Only days earlier, another eight-year-old boy died in Thrissur after a snakebite while sleeping at home , highlighting the dangers posed by snakes entering houses during warm weather.

Authorities and wildlife experts have warned that extreme heat conditions often drive snakes into homes in search of cooler shelter, shade and rodents , increasing the risk of encounters with people.