Social media challenges continue to take their toll. On May 16, a Chinese streamer died after ingesting several bottles of "baiju" – a strong alcohol popular in China – live. He was found by his family twelve hours after the video was released, several Chinese media reported.
According to netizens who saw the live video, the 34-year-old influencer would have ingested seven bottles of baiju. When his family found him, "he was already gone. He couldn't even get emergency care," one of his friends told Shangyou News. A funeral was held on Saturday, May 27.
Claims
The influencer was already known for this type of videos. He had previously been banned from Douyin - the Chinese version of TikTok - after consuming alcohol live, but he circumvented the ban by opening new accounts, BBC reports. His most recent account has 40,000 followers.
Following his death, many Chinese netizens are calling for tighter regulations in the practice of "live streaming", which is very popular in China. A video posted online in February 2023 showing hundreds of streamers performing nightly lives under a bridge had caused controversy. Some stars can make millions of dollars from ads and brand partnerships.
