Blue Whale Challenge May Have Influenced Teen's Death in India
The suicide of a 14-year old boy from Mumbai, India sparked fears of the infamous Blue Whale Challenge. The twisted game is known to goad children into ending their lives and has been linked to a number of teenage deaths in Russia.
Manpreet Sahans, a ninth-grade student from Sher-e-Punjab jumped off his terrace last Saturday, July 29. A neighbor reportedly saw the boy walking on the edge of the terrace and tried calling him. Manpreet was unresponsive, however, and by the time the bystander informed his parents, their son had already jumped.
An investigation into the incident revealed that Manpreet had been searching for ways to commit suicide in the two days prior to his death. His parents also noticed something off about their son but were unable to see him as suicidal.
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Manpreet reportedly informed his classmates that he would not be able to come to school on Monday. They did not realize that he would not be coming to school ever again.
The incident sparked fears of the Blue Whale Challenge, a game that allegedly gives tasks to people for a period of 50 days. In the first few days, the tasks are often mundane such as watching a scary movie.
But as the 50th day nears, the tasks turn darker with tasks telling players to hurt themselves. This is something that has been making its way to the internet with images of self-inflicted wounds in the shape of a whale. On the last day, the players are told to kill themselves to finish the game.
Reports stated that the game has claimed 130 lives in the United Kingdom and Russia. Now, following Manpreet's suicide, many fear that the twisted game has made its way to India as well.
Authorities in the United Kingdom have been issuing warnings to parents and children regarding the game. Russia, which has seen the biggest number of deaths linked to the game, has launched an effort to arrest those responsible for making and sharing the Blue Whale Challenge.
