Ludhiana, Aug. 28 -- A family's preparations for Raksha Bandhan turned into tragedy in Bassian village after two siblings, aged eight and six, died of snakebite.

The deceased have been identified as Jobanpreet Singh, 8, and his younger sister Jaspreet Kaur, 6. The siblings were sleeping on a cot in the courtyard of their home along with their grandmother, Jinder Kaur, when the snake bit them. The family had opted to sleep outdoors due to the heat, they said.

According to the family, the incident took place around 3 am on Wednesday when Jobanpreet complained to his grandmother that something had bitten his hand. Initially, the family assumed it was an insect or mosquito bite. However, his condition soon deteriorated, and he began crying ...