Overview
- Firefighters and police are still hunting the venomous snake using drones, garden sweeps, and checks of trash bins.
- The town shut public facilities and parks and urged people to avoid tall grass and keep children and pets close.
- A resident photographed the reptile, and the mayor had specialists identify it as a cobra from the image.
- A prefecture-appointed expert warned the bite can be fatal and said the nearest hospital is prepared to treat a victim.
- Authorities have not established whether it escaped from a private owner or was released, and many families are staying indoors out of caution.