Video blogger dies after 3 months of daily shows

A China-based live streamer who was known for chugging beer, cooking oil and other liquids live online has died after three months of daily performances.

The 29-year-old streamer surnamed Chu, who hailed from Dalian, Liaoning, streamed every night on the Liaoliao app—a live-streaming social media platform in China. He would drink liquids requested by his audience on live streams, which brought him cash donations from his audience.

On most nights, Chu would chug different forms of alcoholic drinks, but according to a friend, Chu once drank a whole bottle of cooking oil during a live stream.

The friend also said that Chu would constantly push himself in order to get more donations from his audience. Clips showed him throwing up, twitching and at one point reluctant to continue chugging as his audience urged to him continue drinking.

Chu’s video performances would rake in about 500 to 600 Yuan (US$74—$90) a day in the form of cash tips from viewers.

He kept going with his chugging every night for at least three months until December 31, which was when Chu chugged alcohol at a local supermarket on yet another live stream.

While he rode home in a taxi the driver noticed something wrong and drove him to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The live-streaming services on the Liaoliao app have since been shut down, with an explanation on its website saying that the app is going through a “self-examination”—which is part of the Chinese state’s newest campaign of cleaning up the Internet.