Woman fatally bitten by snake during church

LONDON, Kentucky (AP) – A woman died after being bitten by a snake during a serpent-handling service at church, police said.

Linda Long, 48, of London, Ky, died Sunday at University of Kentucky Medical Center, said Brad Mitchell, a detective with the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday. Long died about four hours after the bite was reported, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

Officials said Long attended East London Holiness Church. Neighbours of the church told the newspaper the church practices serpent handling.

Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible from the Gospel of Mark that says a sign of a true believer is the power to “take up serpents” without being harmed.

Handling reptiles as part of religious services is illegal in Kentucky. Snake handling is a misdemeanour and punishable by a US$50 to $100 fine. Police said they had not received reports about snake handling at the church.

Church officials could not be reached for comment.

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