A mother and her three‑year‑old daughter have been killed in India after the woman was bitten by a snake.

Not realising she had been attacked, the woman began breastfeeding her child. Both died before they could reach a hospital.

The news comes the same day as the World Health Organization declared snake bites a "global health priority".

Between 81,000 and 138,000 people are killed by snake bites each year, with around half of all deaths in India.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around five million snake bites occur each year, although venom is only injected in just over half of cases.

From blindness to amputations, hundreds of thousands of people are left with permanent disability after being attacked by snakes. The WHO describes such cases as among the most neglected tropical diseases.

Source:BBC