10-year-old girl died of suffocation after participating in a Tik Tok network challenge – Telam

After the tragedy, the platform founded in 2016, which claims to have 100 million users in Europe, released a statement

A 10-year-old Italian girl died of suffocation on Wednesday in the Italian city of Palermo, Sicily, while leading a viral challenge offered by social network TikTok, local media reported today.

The game in which the deceased girl was participating is called “Blackout challenge” and consists of children blocking their breath until they pass out and “thus having a thrill” which causes accidents every year, including some mortals.

Antonella, who took part in the so-called “blackout challenge”, put a belt around her neck in order to remain breathless as long as possible, while recording the scene with her cellphone, in the bathroom of her family home. AFP news agency reported.

The girl’s 5-year-old sister discovered the unconscious body and her parents took her to the children’s hospital in the city of Palermo, but she did not survive.

“We did not know anything,” confessed the father of the girl to the daily La Repubblica. “I only knew that Antonella had gone to TikTok to watch videos. How can I imagine this atrocity?” They said.

The mother and father of the deceased girl said that another 9-year-old sister was the one who explained what happened and told them: “Antonella was playing the choking game.”

“Let my daughter, my little Antonella, die in an extreme game of TikTok, I cannot accept it!”added Angelo Sicomero, who with his wife decided to donate the girl’s organs so that “other children can live thanks to her”.

The Palermo public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation for “incitement to suicide”.

As the girl’s cell phone was seized by investigators, who are to determine if Antonella has had contact with other participants and if anyone has invited her to participate in the challenge or if she is making this video for a friend or relative.

After the tragedy, the platform founded in 2016, which claims 100 million users in Europe, released a statement.

“The safety of the TikTok community is our top priority, we are at the disposal of the competent authorities to cooperate with any investigation,” the document said.