Three Girls Die After Snakebite at Maharashtra School Hostel

Three girls died and three others were hospitalized after a venomous snake entered a residential school hostel in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district early on Monday, August 10, 2026. The incident occurred at the Japatlai Residential Ashram School in Dhanora taluka, where a krait is suspected to have bitten several students as they slept on the floor of their dormitory.

The deceased students were identified as Deepika Lakda, a Class 6 student; Sushmita Mandal, a Class 8 student; and Anu Koreti, a Class 2 student. Their ages were reported as 8, 12, and 14. According to officials, the snake entered the hostel room at approximately 2 a.m. while nearly 79 girls were sleeping. The affected students were first taken to a rural hospital in Dhanora after their health deteriorated. Two girls died during treatment there, and a third was later shifted to the District General Hospital in Gadchiroli, where she also succumbed.

Three surviving students are receiving medical care. One, identified as Deepika Bitkusai Madavi, a Class 5 student, was airlifted to Government Medical College in Nagpur in critical condition. The other two are in serious condition at the Gadchiroli District Hospital. All...