A social media influencer died soon after live-streaming himself drinking several bottles of strong alcohol on TikTok in China.
State-run media in the country have reported that the government is debating about how to regulate the industry.
The influencer “Sanqiange” (or “Brother Three Thousand”) was found dead just hours after broadcasting himself taking part in a competition with a fellow influencer which involved drinking Baijiu, a Chinese spirit with a typical alcohol content of between 30% to 60%, Shangyou News reported.
Wang took part in an online challenge known as “PK” against another influencer in the early hours of May 16 and live-streamed the results on his Douyin channel.
“PK” challenges involve one-on-one battles in which influencers compete with each other to win rewards and gifts from viewers, and often involve punishments for the loser – apparently in this case, drinking Baijiu.
Influencer dies after live-streaming himself drinking bottles of Chinese spirit Baijiu https://t.co/hASgIE10ag
— CNN (@CNN) May 27, 2023