Three Tribal Girls Die of Snakebite; NHRC Seeks Report
NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of the Gadchiroli hostel snakebite tragedy in which three tribal girls died and three others were injured, seeking a report from Maharashtra authorities.
Three Tribal Girls Die of Snakebite; NHRC Seeks Report
79 Girl Students Housed in a Single Hostel Room
CNB WORLD TIMES
Three Scheduled Tribe girl students died and three others were injured after being bitten by a venomous snake at a government-aided Ashram school hostel in Japtalai village of Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra, on August 10, 2026. The girls were reportedly sleeping on the floor because of a shortage of cots.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognizance of the reported incident. The Commission said that, if the media report is true, the incident raises serious concerns about the violation of human rights and the safety of children living in the hostel.
According to reports, six girls were bitten while sleeping inside the hostel. Three students died, while the remaining three were admitted to hospital for treatment. One of the injured students was reportedly airlifted to Nagpur in critical condition.
The hostel reportedly accommodated around 79 girl students in a single room and lacked basic infrastructure. The facility has been functioning for about 25 years. Reports also indicated that the hostel warden was not present when the incident occurred.
The NHRC has issued a notice to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary seeking a detailed report within two weeks. The report is expected to include the health condition of the injured students and details of the action taken by the authorities.
Following the incident, the Maharashtra government ordered cancellation of the residential school's licence and suspended an official who had recently inspected the institution and reportedly submitted a favourable report despite deficiencies. Police have also taken action against the headmaster and hostel warden.
The state government has further ordered a third-party safety audit of more than 500 Ashram or residential schools for tribal children across Maharashtra. The move aims to identify infrastructure and safety deficiencies and prevent similar incidents in the future.
The tragedy highlights the need for proper accommodation, basic facilities and effective safety measures in residential schools, particularly those serving children from disadvantaged communities.
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