Hasnabad: A jatra actress performing with a spectacled cobra was stung on stage and died a few hours later in a North 24-Parganas village after attempts by a quack to revive her failed on Tuesday night.

The woman lay surrounded by hordes of people for four hours before she was taken to a health-care centre.

Kalidasi Mandal, the victim, was performing with other members of her jatra (folk theatre) troupe at a house at Barunhat village in Hasnabad on the occasion of Manasa Puja when she was stung by the cobra.

"Some of the rich people in the area organise jatra in their houses on the occasion of Manasa Puja in summer," a police officer said.

Villagers told the police that Kalidasi performed with plastic snakes in previous years. This was the first time she was performing with a live snake.

The woman in her early 50s turned up at Das's house with her team and two snakes, a spectacled cobra and a monocled cobra.

An official in the state forest department said the spectacled cobra and the monocled cobra both are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.

"Catching, storing or using these snakes for performance are prohibited," the official said.

"There was a scene in the play where Kalidasi played the role of a beggar. She was holding the snake in one hand and seeking alms with another. Suddenly, the snake bit her," the officer said.

In the audience was Dayal Biswas, a quack. The police said he assured the viewers and other members of the troupe that he would revive Kalidasi.

"Biswas started applying his so-called black magic skills. Kalidasi was foaming at her mouth but Biswas kept saying that he would cure her of the effects of snake venom. The crowd that had gathered to watch the play stood around Kalidasi and Biswas and kept watching the quack's antics," the officer said.

As the woman's condition worsened, the residents took her to the block healthcare centre at Hingalganj.

Kalidasi was declared dead on arrival.

Ena Ray Banerjee, professor of zoology at Calcutta University, said someone stung by a spectacled cobra needed to be given an anti-venom medicine within two hours.

"An adult spectacled cobra releases 170-250mg venom in each bite," she said.

"The venom contains a powerful post-synaptic neurotoxin and cardiotoxin. It acts on the synaptic gaps of the nerves, thereby paralysing muscles. Severe bites lead to respiratory failure or cardiac arrest. Symptoms of snakebite may manifest between 15 minutes and two after the bite," the professor added.