Ludhiana, July 19 -- Two minor sisters lost their lives due to snakebites in Pawat village near Machhiwara on Saturday. The deceased have been identified as Anupam, 11, and Surbhi, 8, both students, who were reportedly bitten while sleeping on the roof of a room near a tubewell where their family resides.

According to Asha Devi, the mother of the deceased, the family has been living in makeshift huts beside agricultural fields for the past four to five years. On Thursday night, the two girls went to sleep on the roof of the tubewell room after having dinner. They briefly came down when the electricity returned around 1 am and then went back up when the power went out again.

Soon after returning to the rooftop, the girls started vomiting...