Singer bitten by cobra on stage continues performing, later dies

“The show must go on.” That’s probably every performer’s mantra to ensure that fans get a good show.

But unfortunately for one Indonesian singer, it was her dedication to her craft that ultimately led to her tragic death.

Irma Bule, a 29-year-old Dangdut (a genre of Indonesian traditional popular music) died after she was bitten by a king cobra in the middle of a performance on Sunday (April 3).

Many Dangdut artists use gimmicks to stand out from the crowd, and Ms Bule was known for dancing with snakes in her performances, Coconuts Jakarta reported.

In the performance at a West Java village, she accidentally stepped on the snake’s tail while performing her second song, and was bitten on her thigh.

Indonesian singer carries on performing after bitten by cobra before dying on stage

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She had mistakenly thought that the snake had been defanged, but the bite caused snake venom to be injected into her bloodstream.

According to a witness in the audience, Ms Bule resumed her performance instead of seeking immediate medical attention. She even refused an antidote from a snake handler, Indonesian news website Merdeka reported.

But she began vomiting and having seizures 45 minutes after she was bitten and was then rushed to a nearby hospital, where she died soon after.

King cobras are among the most poisonous snakes on Earth.

Ms Lydia Apririasari, the founder of the Tulala Snake Research Centre, told Rappler that the reason Ms Bule did not feel the effects of the snake bite immediately was because the bite was not close to her heart. She added that the cobra is able to kill an adult elephant and can consume up to 1,000kg in two hours.

seanyap@sph.com.sg