A 9-year-old boy dies after being bitten by a snake in Urrao, Antioquia.

Urrao, Antioquia – The community of Urrao, in the southwest of the department of Antioquia, is in mourning following the tragic death of a 9-year-old boy who was bitten by a snake while playing in a rural area of ​​the Encarnación district.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon, when the boy, identified as Dilan David Montoya, went out to play near a stream with other children from the area. According to witnesses, the child accidentally stepped on the reptile while running barefoot, causing the bite.

The child’s screams alerted the adults, who rushed to the scene. Upon noticing the bite, they took him by motorcycle to the nearest health center. However, due to the distance and the poor condition of the rural roads, the transfer took more than an hour.

Upon arrival at the Urrao medical center, health professionals did everything possible to stabilize the child, but unfortunately, he already showed advanced signs of poisoning. The necessary antidote was not immediately available, and the child was referred to a more complex hospital in Medellín. Sadly, Dilan died before arrival due to cardiac arrest.

The tragedy has raised alarm bells in the department’s rural areas, where the presence of venomous snakes is common, but medical resources to handle these types of emergencies are scarce. Local authorities and community leaders have demanded that the departmental government provide more anti-venom medicines in rural clinics and improve patient transport infrastructure.