A wife suffocated to death after being buried in cow dung to treat a snake bite in India.

The 35-year-old woman, named as Devendri, was out collecting wood for her fire when a snake bit her on the hand in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, northern India.

She ran home to tell her husband, Mukesh, and the pair decided to call a local snake charmer called Murarey, who suggested his bizarre treatment may succeed in sucking out the poison.  Villagers gathered outside the house and watched as Mukesh covered Devendri in cow dung, reports the Story Trender. 

The snake charmer sat beside her and chanted mantras but after 75 minutes Devendri died.  Mukesh said: 'My wife went out to get fire wood and when she was collecting the wood a snake bit her. 'We tried some medicines, a grinded powder, and tied a rope around her arm. But the snake charmer advised us to cover her in cow dung, so we did. 

'The snake charmer was confident he could help. We left her in the cow dung for 75 minutes. I never thought she would die, I really thought she'd survive, and it'd work.

I never thought this would happen.' The snake charmer, Murarey, said: 'I'm known in this area to treat animal bites. I think the snake was a cobra. And yes, she died because she was buried.' Mukesh is now left to raise five children alone. Station house officer Anand Veer, at Kakod Police Station, said: 'We are not aware of this incident at the station. No one has reported anything or lodged a complaint.'