France, May 8 -- Palaeontologists found 27 fossil vertebrae of Vasuki indicus in a coalmine in the western state of Gujarat and used the well-preserved pieces to calculate the length of the colossus creature to be between 10.9 and 15.2 metres (49.86 feet).

Palaeontologist Sunil Bajpai conceded the astonishing discovery in 2005 from Kutch district's Panandhro mines remained ignored until 2023 when he opened an investigation into the fossilised vertebrae, each larger than a balled fist of a fully grown man.

"We were distracted by other projects and so this got ignored but last July, I and [associate] Debajit Dutta started the research study and finished it after six months of hard work," Bajpai told ANI news service, surrounded by blacken...