A five-year-old boy died after hours of agony when he was stung by a scorpion in his primary school playground.
Victim Lorenzo Benicio de Moraes Ramalho had been getting water from a tap in the yard at the school in Itapolis, Sao Paulo State, Brazil, when the scorpion struck.
He was rushed to Santa Casa de Misericordia General Hospital on 25th September and moved to a clinic in Ibitinga where he was treated with anti-scorpion serum.
But medics say Lozernzo did not recover and died at about 1am the following day (Sept 26), reports local media.
The EMEI Loide Portolani school where he was stung was undergoing building work when Lorenzo was stung.
City Hall officials declared three days of official mourning.
They told local media that the school was last pest-controlled on 4th August.
A spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, scorpions breed at this time of year, and even with the pest control, the cleaning carried out daily, and all the care that the school and staff take towards the students, it was a fatality, and we deeply regret what happened.
“We are committed to providing full support and support at this time.”
Brazil is home to the yellow scorpion (Tityus serrulatus), the most dangerous species in South America.
Its highly toxic venom is extremely toxic can kill a human within an hour, say experts.
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Story By: Marija Stojkoska, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Newsflash
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