Governance problems bedevil Maharashtra’s forested area, where three girls died from snakebite at a residential tribal school

What happened: snakebite deaths in a tribal residential school hostel (Dhanora, Gadchiroli)

A common krait reportedly entered the dormitory of a tribal residential school in Dhanora, Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra, on the night of 9–10 August. Students at the school attended a cultural programme marking World Tribal Day on 9 August and reportedly slept on the hostel floor that night. Six girls aged 8–14 were reportedly bitten; three girls died, including 8-year-old Anu Koreti.

The emergency response described in the incident details includes: Reportedly, other bitten girls were taken to hospital.Reportedly, one bitten girl was airlifted to Nagpur.Reportedly, another bitten girl was kept under serious care at Gadchiroli.

The incident details connect the deaths to governance and infrastructure shortcomings in a remote, heavily forested district context. The incident details also raise concerns about limited medical capacity and hostel safety during night-time hours.

Background and earlier position: Gadchiroli’s snakebite risk and preparedness concerns

Gadchiroli is described as heavily forested and remote, with repeated snakebite deaths. The incident details state that over the past five years, many people have died from snakebite in Gadchiroli. In this risk setting, the incident details describe criticisms related to hostel facilities and preparedness for emergencies in tribal residential schooling.