ISLAMABAD, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least two youngsters were admitted to a hospital in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar with symptoms of depression after playing "Blue Whale Challenge," local Urdu media reported.
Imran Khan, a psychiatrist in the Peshawar's Khyber Teaching Hospital, confirmed that at least five teenagers, including a girl, have approached him for treatment after suffering from severe depression while trying to complete the deadly game, local reports quoted him as reporting late Thursday.
"The teens opted to play the game but as it proceeded, the given tasks became increasingly strange such as being asked the participants to carve a whale into their arm, which prompted them to stop and seek medical help," he further added.
The victims belonged to different areas of the province, said the Samaa News.
The Blue Whale Challenge, dubbed as "Suicide Game," is an online game that is claimed to exist in several countries.
It is reportedly responsible for 130 suicides globally that took place between November 2015 and April 2016. However, no suicides linked to the Blue Whale Challenge have been reported in Pakistan.
The game allegedly consists of a series of tasks assigned to players by some anonymous administrators during a 50-day period, with the final task requiring the player to commit suicide.
Some of the tasks include carving a whale on your arm, watching scary movies all day, poking yourself with a needle and cutting your lip.
After reports of such cases in Pakistan, police and social activists have warned parents about the dangers of the fatal game and asked them to keep an eye on their children and talk to them about it if concerned.
