A Thai mother bitten by a deadly snake endured a desperate 32-hour wait for rescue after being trapped by floods that have devastated southern Thailand for more than a week.
The woman, stranded in her submerged Hat Yai home, turned to social media at 3am on Wednesday after 24 hours of excruciating pain. She and her boyfriend had spent the previous day calling at least 10 rescue agencies, but floodwaters kept emergency crews from reaching them, according to the Thai Examiner news site.
Her plea quickly went viral, triggering an outpouring of support and fury online. Thousands urged authorities to save her as she described her bleeding gums, swollen legs and laboured breathing.
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Yet she forced herself to smile, she wrote, as she tried to stay calm for the sake of her young child.
About eight hours after her first post, rescue teams finally reached her home. She was rushed to Songkhla Hospital where doctors administered life-saving antivenom and began monitoring her condition. In a later update, she thanked her online supporters for keeping her spirits alive.
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Numerous snakes have been spotted swimming through the flooded streets of southern Thailand in recent days – flushed from their habitats by the relentless rain. A viral video posted on Tuesday showed a massive serpent gliding through muddy waters, adding to the sense of unease among those still awaiting evacuation.