Snake kills two children in Canada

A large snake has escaped and killed two children who were staying at a friend’s flat above the pet shop.

06:50 07 August 2013

A large snake has escaped from a pet shop in Canada, travelled through a ventilation system, and killed two children who were sleeping at a friend’s apartment above the pet shop.

The two victims were Noah Barthe, 5, and Connor Barthe, 7.

On Monday morning, the Royal Canadian Mounted police said they were called to the address and arrived at the building at around 6:30am. They confirmed that they found the two boys dead. Their friend, who was sleeping in the other room, was unharmed.

Const. Julie Rogers-Marsh, the police spokeswoman, said that the apartment belonged to the owner of the pet shop.

In a statement, the police said: “The preliminary investigation has led police to believe that a large exotic snake had escaped its enclosure at the store sometime overnight, and got into the ventilation system, then into the upstairs apartment.”

Reptile Ocean exotic pet store said in a Facebook message: "Deepest sympathies goes out to the family of the children. A terrible accident without a meaning."

Officials also said they believed the reptile responsible for the death of the two young children was an African rock python.