Swarms of Deadly Spiders Kill 2 in India

District authorities in Assam state in India are desperate to combat swarms of deadly spiders that have reportedly killed 2 people. Local residents tell of "aggressive" arachnids that actually "leap" at whatever comes close to them.

Talk about a horror movie. Imagine attending a town festival and suddenly finding yourself attacked and bitten by these hungry creepy-crawlers. To make matters worse, the spiders don't let go after they bite.

Head of the department of life sciences at Dibrugarh University. Dr. L.R. Saikia presents this scenario.

"It leaps at anything that comes close. Some of the victims claimed the spider latched on to them after biting. If that is so, it needs to be dealt with carefully. The chelicerae and fangs of this critter are quite powerful."

Teams of experts are stymied by the deadly spiders, but have yet to determine the species, reports Fox News. A few possibilities may be certain types of tarantulas, black wishbones, or a funnel web, but some believe they are an entirely new species.

The two fatalities also may have had contributing factors, said Dr. Anil Phatowali of the town hospital.

"All the bite patients first went to witch doctors, who cut open their wounds with razors, drained out blood and burnt it. That could have also made them sick."

One wonders if swarms of deadly spiders attacking anything and anyone in their way would, in itself, be enough to make a few of the faint-hearted 'arachnophobics' drop in their tracks.