Man dies of snake bite while cleaning AC unit

Chennai: In a tragic incident, a man died of snake bite while cleaning the Air-conditioned unit at his house in suburban Pallikkaranai here last evening.

Police said Sridharan (66), who was living with his wife and two children in a private apartment, opened the AC unit after a foul smell emanated from it and found a dead rat in it on Friday evening.

After removing it, he was cleaning the AC unit when a poisonous black cobra, which was coiled inside it, bit him twice in his hand.

As he was writhing in pain, he was rushed to a private hospital. As there was no medicine to treat the snake bite, he was rushed to Chromepet Government Hospital where he died last evening despite the doctors providing him the best of treatment.

Acting on information, fire service personnel from Medavakkam rushed to the spot and caught the snake.

Fire service sources said the snake would have entered into the AC through a hole created for the AC pipe from a tree near the window in view of heavy rains. (UNI)