Woman dies as 900 snakes from flooded Hengzhou breeding farm spread through Guangxi floodwaters
A woman in Guangxi died after a suspected cobra bite as roughly 900 snakes from a flooded breeding farm spread through Hengzhou, CNN reports. Typhoon Maysak's flooding has killed 39 people. Residents are told to stay indoors and report sightings; most snakes caught so far are non
A woman in China's Guangxi region died after a suspected cobra bite, and several other people have been bitten, after roughly 900 snakes escaped a breeding farm flooded by Typhoon Maysak, CNN reports. The farm in Dengwei village, Hengzhou, was washed away on the morning of July 6 when nearby reservoirs breached their walls. The facility bred cobras, rat snakes and water snakes for commercial purposes. Videos posted by residents showed snakes swimming through flooded streets and resting on floating debris. Local authorities have organized capture teams working with fishing tools and stun guns, and have told residents to stay indoors, avoid floodwaters and report sightings rather than approach the animals. Most snakes recovered so far have been non-venomous water snakes, and state media report many of the escaped animals were likely washed away by the floods. Maysak, China's first typhoon of the year, has killed 39 people in the region's flooding. The escape shows how commercial animal facilities located in flood zones can turn a weather disaster into a second, slower-moving public safety problem, one that continues after the water recedes.