Railway officials in Kerala, India have opened an investigation after a dead snake was found on a seat aboard a Vande Bharat Express.
What made this frightening incident particularly concerning is that the train had reportedly been cleaned before passengers boarded.
Here's what to know
Before the Ernakulam-Bengaluru service departed, railway staff removed a snake that had been discovered in coach C-6. Mathrubhumi reported that the find prompted authorities to order a detailed investigation.
The passenger who reported it, Ernakulam-based insurance worker Vinu Varghese, was traveling to Coimbatore with his wife and young child. After he spotted the animal, he filed a complaint through RailMadad, the railways' passenger grievance system, and staff then came to remove it.
"We are paying so much for the journey. It is clear that it was not brought in from outside by someone ... When I complained, railway staff came and apologised," he said, per Mathrubhumi.
Officials also said the train had come in from Bengaluru and had already undergone cleaning by the time the snake was discovered.
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More background
Vande Bharat cleaning crews are responsible for the seats as well as other areas of the coaches, yet the workers involved say they did not notice any snake during the cleanup. Investigators are now examining how a dead reptile could end up on a passenger seat after that process was said to have been completed.
Even though the snake was dead, the situation involved a family traveling with a small child and quickly raised concerns about sanitation, inspection standards, and passenger safety.
What's being done?
According to Mathrubhumi, railway authorities said a detailed investigation will be conducted and a report will be submitted.
The cleaning crew, meanwhile, continues to say that no snake was seen while the train was being cleaned.
"I saw the snake lying on the adjacent seat when I sat down. I was frightened. Only later did I realise that it was dead. I think it died because something heavy had been placed on it. Someone who was sitting in another seat before me had also seen it, but thought it was a toy," Varghese said, per Mathrubhumi.
Where can I learn more?
These stories look at snakes turning up in unexpected places.
• Passengers on an Indian train scrambled as a snake glided down the coach aisle.
• In Sydney, a venomous snake slithered through a crowded train platform.
• On a TUI flight from Cancun to London, a stowaway snake disappeared after landing.
• At Gatwick Airport, a venomous stowaway vanished from an England-bound Dreamliner after passengers exited.
• In India, a snake in a washer bit two people and sparked panic.
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