Bhubaneswar, Jul 10 (IANS): In a tragic incident, a woman was killed by a snakebite, but not before saving the life her son, in Jajpur district in Odisha, the police said on Friday.

The deceased woman has been identified as Priyadarshini Rout from Deulabad village in Dasarathpur block of Jajpur district. The villagers said that Priyadarshini died after being bitten by a poisonous snake while saving her son on Thursday afternoon.

The incident happened when Priyadarshini was putting her two-and-a-half-year old son to sleep at around 3 pm on Thursday. At that time, she spotted a cobra approaching his son. She immediately caught hold of the snake, but it bit on her right hand.

Priyadarshini was rushed to the district hospital in Jajpur where the doctors declared her dead. Later, members of the local snake helpline rescued the cobra from the area.

Inspector-in-charge Manas Ranjan Chakra said an unnatural death case has been registered and the body has been handed over to the family after an autopsy on Friday morning.