A family’s preparations for Raksha Bandhan turned into tragedy in Bassian village after two siblings, aged eight and six, died of snakebite.
Initially, the family assumed it was an insect or mosquito bite. However, his condition soon deteriorated, and he began crying in pain and experiencing breathing difficulties. The incident took place around 3 am on Wednesday when Jobanpreet complained to his grandmother that something had bitten his hand, according to the family.
The siblings were sleeping on a cot in the courtyard of their home along with their grandmother, Jinder Kaur, when the snake bit them. The family then noticed a bite mark on his hand and spotted a snake beneath the cot. By then, Jaspreet had also started showing signs of distress. A pall of gloom descended on the village a day before Raksha Bandhan.
The deceased have been identified as Jobanpreet Singh, 8, and his younger sister Jaspreet Kaur, 6. Despite efforts to save him, Jobanpreet succumbed around 18 hours after his sister’s death, the family said. The family had opted to sleep outdoors due to the heat, they said.
Both children, students of Class I and Class III, respectively, were cremated together on Thursday at their village.
The children were rushed to the civil hospital in Raikot, where doctors confirmed that both had suffered snakebites. Jaspreet was declared brought dead at the hospital, while Jobanpreet, whose condition was critical, was referred to Christian Medical College (CMC) Hospital, Ludhiana.
