MITHI, Oct 27: The invasion of highly poisonous snakes and kraits has made the lives of people of Chachchro taluka miserable, while health authorities have yet to provide relief to them.

Residents urged the National Institute of Health to carry out research and provide remedy against krait, Bungarus Multicinctus, a brightly-coloured immensely venomous elapid snake of Subcontinent and South East Asia. Senior doctors confirmed that they lack expertise in treating a krait-bitten patient hence research was required to find its antidote.

A man bitten by krait died a few days back and seven more people were reported to be bitten in two nights.

A sudden emergence of kraits in a large number in villages has spread fear among residents who are passing sleepless nights, said many perturbed residents while there was no antidote available against it.

Allah Jurio 28, a resident of Kumbhe Ji Dhani village was rushed to Chachchro taluka hospital after being bitten by krait a few days back. Later, he was taken to Mirpurkhas and Jinnah hospital but couldn't survive, they said.

Visran w/o Mohammad Samoon, Mehran w/o Ismail, Sagho s/o Siddique residents of Karuro Sama village and Sikandar Ali s/o Qayoom, Unnar Khuda Bux s/o Noor Mohammad, Jadi w/o Wadal and Siddique s/o Achar of Umer Unnar village had been bitten by kraits. They are under local treatment including the application of alum, camel milk and onion in the absence of medical facility.

People of Thar believe krait appears at night and crawls up on cots and spits venom in the mouth of a sleeping person resulting in instant blindness, severe pain and swelling in throat, causing respiratory problem to the patient.

Terrified villagers keep alighted kerosene lamps and scatter peeled onions on cots and floor as its sharp odour keeps the reptile and other vipers away. The non-availability of onion and alum cause problems and people in most of krait-bite cases die.