KEONJHAR: Three students, including two girls, died after being bitten by a poisonous snake while they were sleeping in the dormitory of a private coaching centre at Nischintapur village under Baria police limits, 40 km from Keonjhar district headquarters, on Saturday night.
Another student who was also bitten is battling for life at SCB medical college and hospital, Cuttack.
According to sources, the students, aged 11-12, were among 60 others who were staying in the dormitory attached to the coaching centre run by a retired teacher Khageshwar Mahanth in the village.
The deceased are Elina Naik (12), daughter of Govardhan Naik of Badaberbeda village in Ghatgaon block, Snehashree Naik (11), daughter of Chhatish Kumar Naik of Joda block Uchabali village, Raj Naik (12), son of Manoj Kumar Naik of Bamebari police station. Akash Naik (12), son of Ranjan Naik of Barbil police station of Thakurani village, is undergoing treatment.
Sources said, the children were enrolled in different primary schools in their villages. However, they had taken admission in the ‘residential’ coaching centre that charged Rs 20,000 per year from each as tuition fee and boarding charges. Mostly in the age group of eight to 13, the students belong to Patna, Champua, Joda and Ghatagaon blocks.
Immediately after the incident came to light, Keonjhar collector Ashis Thakre directed the district education officer Purna Chandra Sethy to inquire into the case. Additional tehsildar, Jhumpura, Ramesh Chandra Naik rushed to the spot and submitted a preliminary report to the district administration. Three cases were also filed in Baria police station in this connection.
“The coaching centre owner Mahanth is in Cuttack attending to the student who is being treated at the SCBMCH. All the three are unnatural deaths. We are investigating the incident,” Baria police station sub-inspector John Patnaik said.
Meanwhile, after the shocking incident, guardians of other students have started taking back their kids from the centre.On July 18, a class IX girl student of Manasi coaching centre in Gumura village of Keonjhar also died due to snake bite on the hostel premises and another critically injured was shifted to the hospital.