AN INTERNET celebrity in China has died from drinking too much alcohol after a live streamed drinking battle, making this the second fatality from such a game in a month.
The 27-year-old live streamer’s wife confirmed with Chinese media outlet Jimu News on Tuesday that her husband, known by his online moniker Zhong Yuan Huang Ge or Brother Huang from the Central Plains, died from excessive consumption of alcohol on the morning of June 2.
The woman, surnamed Li, said her husband was desperately trying to earn money through live-streaming to repay hundreds of thousands of yuan in debt that he owed before his marriage.
The latest death comes after a live streamer surnamed Wang was found dead on May 16 after he was last seen downing four bottles of baijiu, a potent colourless liquor with an alcohol content that ranges from 35% to 60%.
Huang was a good friend of Wang and attended his funeral, according to China media outlet Southern Metropolis Daily.
The tabloid also reported that a friend had heard Huang saying on the same day of the funeral that he would drink less alcohol.
According to Southern Metropolis Daily, Huang’s social media account had a following of 176,000 fans and his videos featured drinking baijiu, beer and other alcohol as well as cracking walnuts with his head and opening durians with his bare hands.
Huang’s death is the latest in a string of dangerous stunts performed by live streamers in a bid to earn more monetary “gifts” from their viewers. — The Straits Times/ANN
