Tragedy struck the city of Capitán Bermudez in Santa Fe Province, Argentina when a 12-year-old girl lost her life to a dangerous viral challenge. Milagros Soto was found dead in her bedroom with a noose around her neck, her father discovering her after returning from work on January 13th. Reports suggest that Soto was attempting the “choking challenge,” also known as the “blackout challenge,” which has claimed the lives of at least twenty children since mid-2021.
Soto had been streaming the dangerous stunt live to her school friends when the fatal incident occurred. While she had successfully completed the challenge twice before, on the third attempt, she was unable to remove the noose from her neck, leading to tragic consequences. According to her aunt, Soto had received a message on WhatsApp with a link to the challenge, which she believes was done in response to the bullying her niece had faced at school.
Argentinian girl, 12, dies after attempting TikTok choking challenge, reports say https://t.co/tf60sfuBDq
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 17, 2023
Experts have cautioned that the “blackout challenge” can have severe consequences, including fainting, brain damage, seizures, and even death. Despite the dangers, the trend has continued to grow in popularity, with more and more children falling victim to its allure. Two girls from California, who watched “blackout challenge” videos on TikTok, the social media platform that hosts the trend, hanged themselves, leading to wrongful death lawsuits against the company.
TikTok has come under fire for its role in spreading the deadly challenge, with critics demanding the platform do more to prevent the spread of harmful content. However, the company has denied responsibility for the ongoing issue, stating that injuries resulting from the choking game predate the “blackout challenge.” Nevertheless, the media has called for TikTok users to report anyone engaging in dangerous viral challenges by clicking on the “Report” symbol. The tragic death of Milagros Soto is a stark reminder of the severe consequences of taking part in these dangerous trends, and parents are urged to monitor their children’s online activity closely to prevent similar tragedies from happening.