Heedless of her own life, a 14-year-old girl saved her three younger siblings from certain death. She was bitten and killed by a king cobra while protecting them.

The tragedy happened on 13 July in Batian village in the Maitum area of Sarangani province in the Philippines. The girl's name was Buding. Her selfless sacrifice and bravery have plunged the whole area into mourning.

Buding was bathing with her three younger siblings in a river in the Crossing Kuda area at midday when a huge king cobra suddenly came at them through the water. In the Philippines the snake is known locally as "banakon" or "suaga".

Seeing the snake approach, Buding did not try to run away to save herself. To save her small, helpless siblings, she made a shield of her own body and held them close.

Her sister Naib Malah said that when the snake went for the small children, Buding hugged them and turned her back to it. The venomous bite struck her directly on the lower back.

Despite the bite, she managed to lift her siblings out of the river unharmed. She was then quickly taken to a local hospital, but the venom spread through her body before she arrived, and doctors declared her dead.

"She did not think of herself for a single moment," Naib Malah said. "If she had not stepped forward like that, we might have lost four children together today."

The incident has caused deep grief across the area, and people are praising the girl's boundless courage and sacrifice.

Maitum mayor James Reganit met the bereaved family, offered his deep condolences and promised that the municipality would bear all funeral costs.

Meanwhile, some videos of the incident have spread on social media since Buding's death. Her family has asked everyone to stop sharing them, saying they only add to their grief and pain.

In this rainy season, the local administration has advised residents to stay alert, and to take extra care especially when moving near rivers or bushes. Doctors have also advised that people bitten by snakes go quickly to the nearest hospital rather than to a traditional healer.

The report was based on the Inquirer.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.