Passengers on a bus enroute to Da Nang City in central Vietnam were seen to panic and rush out of the bus after they saw about ten ‘Krait’ snakes slithering up on to the bus floor on the morning of June 13.
They shouted in panic and the bus driver stepped on the brakes immediately. Huynh Thi Diep, one of the bus passengers recalled that she panicked when she saw a snake slither up her legs.
She shouted to the driver and other passengers in fright but soon the other passengers noticed that more snakes were slithering across the bus floor as well.
This caused a frightened panic in the entire bus and all passengers made a rush to get out of the bus.
Police arrived at the scene immediately and started an investigation. According to bus driver Duong Dinh Son from the central city of Da Nang, a woman acquaintance of his from Ha Lam Town in the central province of Quang Nam asked him to carry two bags for her to give to a woman in the central province of Binh Dinh.
However, he claimed ignorance at the contents of the bags.
The ‘Krait’ is a thin, agile and highly poisonous snake with a dark steel blue-black or pale faded bluish grey body.
So far there is no known cure or antidote to treat a ‘Krait’ snake bite, as its lethal venom contains pre-synaptic neurotoxins, many times more poisonous than that of a common cobra. A victim is said to die within 6-8 hours after being bitten.
