Niël Terblanché
A three-year-old boy, Lihoneni Mingeli, died early Monday morning after being bitten by a snake at the Ovitapita farm near Omatjete.
The incident happened around 04:00, according to Inspector Judith Shomongula, spokesperson for the Namibian Police in the Erongo Region.
She said the child’s mother was sleeping on a bed with her two children, while a visitor slept on the floor in the same room.
“The visitor felt something moving on her blanket. She woke up, lit a torch and saw the snake,” Shomongula said.
The visitor tried to alert the mother, but the snake had already disappeared.
“The mother and her visitor could only hear the movements in the room,” Shomongula explained.
They quickly removed the children from the room.
Once outside, they saw that Lihoneni was gasping for air and appeared weak.
The mother and the visitor tried to get help from neighbours.
“However, before they could leave the premises, they discovered that the child was no longer breathing,” Shomongula said.
The police were called to the scene and rushed the boy to the Omatjete clinic, where he was declared dead on arrival.
That afternoon, the snake was found and killed.
The child’s next of kin has been informed. Police investigations are ongoing.
Inspector Shomongula expressed her condolences to the family and urged rural communities to stay alert during the night when snakes are more likely to enter homes.
