INQUIRER FILES
TAGBILARAN CITY 鈥� A 6-year-old girl died on Tuesday, Dec. 10, after a snake bit her in Barangay Mahayag, Alicia town, Bohol.
Rain Heart Madrigal was reportedly getting their washed clothes at the back of their house when the king cobra, locally known as banakon, bit her.
Staff Sergeant Ramir Te Jr. of the Alicia Police Station said Madrigal did not reach the hospital alive.
The girl succumbed to the snake bite and was declared dead on arrival at the hospital in Ubay town.
The girls鈥檚 relatives looked for the serpent and killed it before it could threaten the community.
According to National Geographic, the king cobra is one of the most venomous snakes on the planet.
Their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes but the amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite鈥攗p to two-tenths of a fluid ounce鈥攊s enough to kill 20 people or even an elephant.
It added that king cobra venom affects the respiratory centers in the brain, causing respiratory arrest and cardiac failure.
Health experts warned that in snake bites, the time element is of extreme importance.
Immediate medical attention is needed for any snake bite and a delay in the treatment could lead to serious injury or death, they said.