Firemen in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk fled a burning sauna in panic after mistaking a three-metre boa constrictor for a hosepipe, the Itar-Tass news agency reported on Thursday.
The reptile called Yasha, kept as a mascot by the owner, had succumbed to smoke and lost consciousness on the floor before the emergency workers arrived to tackle the blaze.
A member of the startled fire crew eventually heeded pleas by the sauna staff to save the snake and dragged it to safety by its tail. – Sapa-DPA