Malaysian snake king dies from cobra bite

Kuala Lumpur -- Malaysian snake king Ali Khan Samsuddin, who had performed snake shows for 25 years, died after being bitten by a king cobra.

Ali Khan died Friday morning, three days after being attacked by a six-metre king cobra during a snake show, the media reported Saturday.

The 48-year-old was bitten on his hand and received outpatient treatment at a hospital because his condition seemed not serious.

On Thursday night, the snake charmer complained of weakness, with swellings on his body and his arm turning black.

His son Amjad Khan, 21, said Ali Khan created the Guinness World Records in 1998 after living with 6,000 scorpions for 21 days. Seven years ago, he wrote off another record, staying with 400 cobras for 40 days.

This is the fourth time Ali Khan had been bitten by a king cobra, said media reports. He survived for the first three times, thanks to his own recipe and timely medical treatment.

Amjad Khan, who was allowed to do snake charming solo shows barely a year ago, said he plans to carry on his father's legacy.