A massive python attacked a 64-year-old woman in a town outside Bangkok while she was preparing her evening dishes. Arom Arunroj felt a sharp pain in her thigh and looked down to see the four-to-five-meter-long python coiled around her. The snake squeezed her tightly, forcing her to the floor, as she struggled to free herself.

Despite her cries for help, it took an hour and a half before a neighbour heard her and called the authorities. When police arrived, Arom was still trapped, weak and pale. Police and animal control officers managed to free her by hitting the python on its head with a crowbar. The snake eventually slithered away, and Arom was treated for several bites.

Pythons are non-venomous constrictors, and while attacks on humans are rare in Thailand, snake encounters are not uncommon. Last year, 26 people died from venomous snake bites, with 12,000 treated for snake-related injuries. The reticulated python, the largest snake in Thailand, can grow as long as 10 meters and weigh up to 130 kilograms.