Superstition Claims Another Life: 12-Year-Old Girl Dies After Snakebite in Joypur

In a tragic incident that underscores the deadly consequences of blind faith in superstition over medical science, a 12-year-old girl named Mina Barman lost her life after being bitten by a venomous snake while asleep at her home in Daloi Chhara, Joypur under Lakhipur constituency on Monday (June 9).

Mina, a student of Class 6 at Joypur Binapani School, was sleeping in her bed on Monday morning when she suddenly woke up feeling a sharp pain in her body. She noticed a bite mark and alerted her family.

Initially thinking it was caused by an insect, her family searched the room—only to find a black snake, which they said was venomous, about two-and-a-half feet long, lurking nearby.

As symptoms of poisoning started showing, instead of rushing her to a hospital, the family chose to call a traditional healer (ojha) for treatment through rituals. Precious time was lost in the process.

When Mina was finally taken to Harinagar Hospital, doctors declared her brought dead. Lack of awareness took away her life.

Medical experts and snake rescuers repeatedly warn against relying on superstition and delay in administering anti-venom treatment, which remains the only scientifically proven method to treat snakebites.

Mina’s tragic death has sparked sorrow in the locality, with many questioning the continued dependence on unscientific methods in rural areas.