Hundreds of Snakes Escape After Massive Floods

Nearly 900 snakes slithered loose from a farm in China after devastating floodwaters from Typhoon Maysak washed through the region, adding a nightmare reptile scare to an already deadly storm disaster.

At least 17 people have died and more than 331 others were injured after powerful storms packing winds of up to 160 mph tore across parts of southern and central China. The violent weather ripped apart homes, overturned vehicles and battered farmland, leaving more than 4,800 houses damaged.

But in the southern region of Guangxi, residents were forced to deal with another terrifying problem after floodwaters destroyed a snake farm and allowed roughly 900 reptiles to escape, according to state-owned media outlet Red Star News.

The flooding killed at least six people in the region, while videos showed villagers wading through knee-deep water as they tried to capture the loose snakes before they spread farther into the community.

One villager was hospitalized after being bitten during the chaos, while around a dozen locals reportedly joined forces to round up the reptiles.

Officials said most of the escaped snakes were believed to be harmless water snakes and rat snakes. However, the group also included several highly venomous cobras, raising alarm as residents searched the floodwaters and nearby areas for the missing reptiles.

The bizarre and frightening escape came as emergency crews continued responding to the widespread destruction left behind by the storm, which has battered communities, damaged thousands of homes and left families trying to recover from one of the region’s most alarming weather disasters.