Indonesian singer bitten by snake carried on performing for 45 minutes before collapsing and dying

Irma Bule during her performance with a snake

Indonesian singer Irma Bule, 29, was attacked mid-performance in the village of Karawang in West Java after she stepped on the cobra’s tail. She thought the king cobra, called Rianti, had been de-fanged but when it bit her thigh it injected venom into her bloodstream. The popstar continued singing for 45 minutes before she began vomiting and having seizures. She later died in hospital.
The singer, who has used pythons and boa constrictors in previous performances, reportedly refused the offer of an antidote. A mother of three, she was known in the Karawang area of West Java province for her goyang ular, Indonesian for “snake dance moves.” She started singing dangdut since she graduated from junior high school.

Her burial

Police said they are investigating the incident and have asked people in the audience for information. A single bite of a king cobra is said to contain enough venom to kill 20 people or even an elephant but the snakes avoids humans whenever possible.