A tourist was killed by a 'cobra' while on holiday in Egypt after a snake charmer allowed it to crawl into his trousers during a show.

The 57-year-old had been attending a snake charming show in Hurghada alongside three other members of his family when the incident took place.

During the show, which was hosted at a hotel in early April, tourists were able to hold the snakes and place them around their necks, according to several local German reports.

But the snake charmer let one of the reptiles - thought to be a cobra- climb up the Bavarian tourist's trouser leg.

The unnamed man was then bitten by the snake, and according to police, he began to show clear signs of poisoning.

He then went into cardiac arrest and required resuscitation before being rushed to the hospital, where he tragically lost his life.

The public prosecutor's office and the criminal police in Memmingen were investigating the circumstances of the death. 

According to a police spokesperson, the investigation is not currently focused specifically on the snake charmer, but is being conducted openly. 

The results of a toxicological examination were still pending. 

This is a breaking news story. More to follow.