In a shocking and tragic incident, a woman in Indonesia was killed and eaten by a 30-foot python. The victim, Siriati, 30, went missing on the morning of July 2, after leaving her home in Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, to buy medicine for her sick child.
Disappearance and search
When Siriati failed to return, her worried relatives initiated a search. Her husband, Adiansya, 30, made the gruesome discovery, finding the python in the process of swallowing her. The Straits Times reported that the mother of five was last seen stepping out of her house early in the morning.
The python reportedly attacked Siriati as she walked alone through a wooded area, crushing her to death by constriction before beginning to ingest her. According to The Sun, Adiansya found his wife with her legs protruding from the python’s mouth. In a desperate attempt to save her, Adiansya killed the snake, but it was too late; Siriati had already succumbed.
Official statements
“The victim wanted to go out to buy her child’s medicine. Her youngest son is three years old. She was visiting her brother and had to go through the forest first,” explained Iyang, the Village Secretary of Siteba in Indonesia.
He added, “Her brother waited for a long time, but the victim didn’t come. That’s why her brother called the victim’s husband. The husband said that Siriati had been gone since early morning. So the husband went looking for his wife.”
The estimated time of death is 7:30 am on July 2 (local time). Walenrang Police Chief, Adjunct Police Commissioner Idul, confirmed that Siriati’s body was found intact, though likely with crushed bones. “The condition of the body was intact but perhaps the bones had been crushed. The body is already at the funeral home for a religious ceremony,” he stated.
A recurrent tragedy
This incident marks the second such tragedy in South Sulawesi in less than a month. In early June, the body of a 45-year-old woman was found inside a python that had swallowed her whole. Indonesia is home to several species of pythons, including the Burmese python and the reticulated python, which are known for their size and strength. The harrowing incident underscores the dangers posed by pythons in certain regions of Indonesia. As the community mourns the loss of Siriati, efforts to ensure such tragedies are prevented in the future will be paramount.