Chennai: The family members of a 12-year-old boy who died of a snake bite in Vellore Government Hospital were forced to carry his corpse on their shoulders for 3 kms for performing last rites in Tirupathur. The family was forced to carry the corpse due to the lack of road facilities in Kathavalam area near Ambur.
According to The Hindu, Arjun (12), a student of Government Middle School in Arangaldargam village, was bitten by a snake on Sunday night while returning home after playing with his friends. The family on learning about the snake bite immediately took him to a hospital despite a lack of road access and street lights.
The family made a makeshift stretcher and took him down the hill for 3 km to Arangaldargam, the village with a PHC. The boy was then shifted to Government Hospital in Vellore. However, he died without responding to treatment on Monday.
Following this, the family took the boy's body to the foothills of Kathavalam in an ambulance. They then wrapped his body in a cloth and carried it on their shoulders to perform the last rites.
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After the last rites, residents blamed the lack of roads as the reason for the boy's death. They also demanded better facilities to the families.
On Tuesday, Tirupathur Collector Amar Kushwaha met the deceased's family. He also assured to provide basic facilities to the Irula families.
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Meanwhile, Ambur Tahsildar said that they have decided to lay a bitumen road to connect with the main road.