A 23-year-old man from Bashibi village under Langthil Gewog in Trongsa died on Sunday after being bitten on the index finger by a snake. A source said that the deceased was playing with the snake before it bit him.
It is a common myth that snakes sting with their tongues. Believing in this myth, the sticking out tongue of the snake was cut off and the deceased was playing with the snake. However, snakes use its fangs to bite.
The deceased was admitted in Dangdung BHU in Langthil Gewog nearly two hours after the incident.
The health officials suspect a respiratory failure following the snake bite.
Meanwhile, there were 17 cases of snakebite reported in Trongsa hospital since 2018 but provided anti-venom to only four individual as per the intensity of the venom a snake has.
And the residents of Langthil said there are various unrecognised species of snake whether venomous or not in the village but this is the first casualty from a snakebite.
Passang, Trongsa