A woman has died after being bitten by a venomous snake in Pakistan, joining over 100 others who have suffered snake bites as disastrous floods continue to rage across the country.
Severe flash flooding caused by an unprecedented monsoon season has wreaked havoc across Pakistan since June. Sherry Rehman, the country’s climate change minister, said on Monday that around a third of the country is underwater and 33 million people have been affected.
The woman was bitten at her home in the Nowshera district of the northwestern province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. She died after floods prevented her from receiving timely medical attention, UrduPoint reported.
It is not clear what species of snake attacked the woman; Pakistan is home to a number of venomous snakes including vipers, cobras and kraits. Venomous snake bites are a medical emergency and cannot be treated without antivenom. Survival depends on how quickly the victim can receive treatment. As the floods continue to devastate Pakistan, there have been 134 cases of snake bites reported in the country and a lack of antivenom available amid the floods has caused deaths and disabilities, the outlet reported. Snake venom can damage tissue leading to amputations. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Health Department issued a warning to locals about displaced wildlife among the floods, including snakes and insects. It is possible the floods may have made the snakes more agitated, meaning they are biting more people than usual.
