Chef killed by severed snake head

A chef was killed after he was bit by the head of a snake that he had cut off after preparing the dish.

Chef Peng Fan had chopped the head off the Indochinese spitting cobra, a delicacy in Asia, to prepare a snake soup.
The snake was being diced up to be made into snake soup, which is a delicacy in the area and a much sought after dish in high-end restaurants. China has seen a rising demand for snake products, not only in restaurants but also for use in traditional medicine.
He was tossing the head  into the  rubbish bin about 20 minutes later when the snake's head bit him, injecting him with its lethal venom.

Restaurant guests heard screams from the kitchen.

"There were calls for a doctor in the restaurant but unfortunately by the time medical assistance arrived the man had already died. After we heard that we did not continue with our meal."

Mr Peng was from Shunde, a district in the city of Foshan in southern China's Guangdong province. Residents of the province have a long history of enjoying snake meat of all kind in local dishes.

For centuries it has been commonly served up in a soup, and is also taken as part of Chinese medicine, for it is believed that snake meat can cure ailments.

It's part of a 'what doesn't kill you makes you stronger' concept - the more poisonous the delicacy, the more beneficial it is seen as being to the body.

One local said: "Snake meat is really good for us. It is not so easy to get and is expensive but it has spectacular health benefits.

A police spokesman called it "a highly unusual case. There was nothing that could be done to save the man. Only the anti-venom could have helped but this was not given in time. It was just a tragic accident."