16-year-old dies after trying TikTok’s dangerous ‘scarf game’ challenge

A 16-year-old girl has died after attempting the ‘scarf game’ TikTok challenge, which sees participants fastening the cloth around their necks until they pass out.

Christy Sibali Dominique Gloire Gassaille died in May, after trying the viral ‘scarf game,’ which is a variation of TikTok’s dangerous ‘Blackout Challenge‘ that has claimed several lives over the years.

The 16-year-old French girl, who grew up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was reportedly at home when she attempted the deadly stunt. She passed away on May 27, Jam Press reports.

The sick game sees participants fasten a piece of cloth around their necks to asphyxiate themselves until they pass out. Similar to the Blackout Challenge, this exploit can restrict the oxygen flow to the brain, causing seizures, serious injury, and even death.

Following Gassaille’s tragic death last month, she was buried on June 7 at the Fleury les Aubrais cemetery, near her home in Orléans, France.

Unsplash: Solen Feyissa

Her passing is another that has been caused by choking challenges, which have become increasingly popular on the short-form video app. However, TikTok appears to have placed restrictions, as a search for the term “scarf game” returns a “no results found” message.

The message reads: “This phrase may be associated with behavior or content that violates our guidelines. Promoting a safe and positive experience is TikTok’s top priority. For more information, we invite you to review our Community Guidelines.”

There has been a report of another young death from a similar viral choking challenge. In January 2023, a 12-year-old Argentinian girl died while recording herself attempting this stunt with a makeshift noose.

Previously, TikTok faced wrongful death lawsuits after two California girls allegedly hanged themselves to death after watching blackout challenge videos on the app. However, the platform’s reps declared that “choking game” injuries sustained by young people long predate the blackout challenge.