Who was Milagros Soto? Girl, 12, kills herself after deadly 'blackout challenge' goes wrong third time
SANTA FE PROVINCE, ARGENTINA: Milagros Soto, an Argentine girl died while attempting the deadly ‘choking challenge’ that went viral on TikTok. Reportedly, she was able to do the challenge twice successfully, before succumbing to it on her third attempt. “We are inconsolable [because] we gave her so much love,” the victim’s aunt Laura Luque told Jam Press on the tragic death of her niece on January 13. The resident of Capitán Bermudez, Santa Fe Province, was found dead at her home after reportedly participating in one of these bizarre challenges being popularized on the TikTok platform.
As per the local outlet, El Litoral, Soto was found hanging from a makeshift noose while trying what some call the ‘blackout challenge,’ which involves the internet clout-seekers attempting this stunt to the stage where they asphyxiate themselves until passing out. Several experts had already warned about this dangerous challenge, which can cause brain damage, fainting, seizures, and other worse consequences. “On the third occasion, she could not remove the rope from her neck,” claimed Luque. “I believe someone encouraged her to do it. She suffered a lot with bullying,” added the aunt, as the death was recorded on camera.
READ MORE
What is the F74 TikTok trend? Challenge takes you to a 'parallel dimension' while you sleep
“She told us no one wanted her at school because she was pretty with blond hair,” she continued before further explaining she harbored “many doubts about everything that happened to her” since “she was a very smart girl,” reported El Litoral. The authorities have already launched an investigation into the 12-year-old girl’s tragic death and are trying to get to establish the root cause of it. A spokesperson for School 223 The Gral Pablo Ricchieri, the school Soto attended described the deceased student as a ‘great student, friend, sweet, good and kind.' They added, “We support our student’s family in this terrible moment.”
The other victims who fell for it were UK youths Leon Brown, 14, and Archie Battersbee, 12, who allegedly died over the summer attempting the same dangerous viral challenge, as per New York Post. The popular social media app is also being sued after two California girls hung themselves after watching the ‘blackout challenge’ video on the TikTok application. The lawsuit states, “TikTok has invested billions of dollars to intentionally design and develop its product to encourage, enable and push content to teens and children that defendant knows to be problematic and highly detrimental to its minor users’ mental health.”