Keonjhar, July 23: At least three students including two girls died after being bitten by a poisonous snake at a private hostel run by a coaching centre in Odisha's Keonjhar district, police said on Sunday. The incident took place on Saturday night when four students, all minors, were sleeping on the floor in the coaching centre hostel at Nischintapur village in the Baria area of Keonjhar district, the police said.

All four students were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) in Keonjhar, where three of the students were declared dead. Another student, who was in a critical condition, has been shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for better treatment, police said.

The deceased were identified as Raja Nayak (12), Shehashree Nayak (11) and Elina Nayak (12), while Akash Nayak (12) is undergoing treatment at Cuttack, police said.