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Hundreds of snakes turn up, quake fears rejected

By Zhang Jiawei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-04-13 10:45
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About 400 snakes have been caught or killed in Guantang village in Guangzhou of Guangdong province as they turned up in droves and caused a public panic on fears of an upcoming earthquake, the Nanfang Daily reported Tuesday.

The local government set up an investigation team on Monday and helped villagers catch the snakes. Guangzhou's earthquake experts said the snakes' migration had nothing to do with a possible earthquake.

Experts on the species said the 60-centimeter-long snakes were usually seen in East China’s Zhejiang rather than in South China, and that they were dangerous.

The village has set up an emergency 24-hour treatment station. No one has been reported hurt so far.