In a disturbing event, a 25-year-old woman in Telangana has died by suicide, with her intense fear of ants believed to be the primary cause. The incident occurred on November 4 in Sangareddy district. Authorities were alerted after the woman’s husband discovered her hanging at their residence upon returning from work. She was married in 2022 and had a young daughter.
Information gathered from the community indicates that the woman suffered from a lifelong, severe myrmecophobia, or fear of ants, which began in her childhood. This phobia was so debilitating that it necessitated counseling sessions at a hospital in Mancherial, her native town. The persistent nature of this fear is understood to have complicated her married life as well.
The day of the tragedy, she had temporarily placed her daughter in the care of a relative, citing a need to clean her home. Her husband, arriving home to find the door secured from within, had to break it down with the help of neighbors, leading to the grim discovery. A note left behind detailed her overwhelming distress over ants, serving as her final message to her husband, requesting he look after their daughter. The note’s content, including references to religious customs, points to an impulsive act fueled by extreme anxiety. Investigators are exploring the possibility that a direct encounter with ants during her cleaning tasks may have precipitated the fatal event. The Ameenpur police have registered a case and are continuing their inquiries.