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A FEMALE Indonesian singer’s bid to use a venomous snake as a gimmick for a show in West Java ended in tragedy Sunday when the cobra bit her during a performance.

Despite the attack, Irma Bule, who was singing ‘dangdut’ songs, did not seek immediate attention and proceeded to finish her 45-minute set, culminating in her death several hours later.

According to Coconuts Jakarta, Irma, who has a reputation for dancing with snakes on stage, brought a king cobra in for the performance. It is understood that the snake was still venomous.

Witnesses say she appeared unperturbed by the strike and refused to receive anti-venom from the snake handler.

Quoted by local daily Merdeka, audience member Ferlando Octavion Auzura said: “In the middle of the second song, Irma stepped on the snake’s tail. The snake then bit Irma in her thigh.”

“The effects were felt 45 minutes after the bite. She vomited, had seizures, and her body seized,” he added.

After ending the performance, Irma died soon after reaching a nearby hospital.

‘Dangdut’ is a genre of Indonesian folk music that combines Indian and Arabic influences, which is widely popular in the country and region.