Boy dies after hours of gaming

A schoolboy has died after collapsing at the end of a 12-hour gaming session, according to Russian newspapers.

The boy, aged 12 and named only as Sergei, lived in the Yekaterinburg, western Russia. He was allowed to visit the local computer club by his parents as a reward for achieving good grades in school.

He regularly played for 10-12 hours at a time without a break, according to a club employee, who told Russian newspapers: "When this boy came last time, he felt quite good and played for [a long time], almost 12 hours.

"Then suddenly he fell on the floor and convulsed. We called an ambulance immediately, doctors arrived fast and took him to a hospital."

The boy was diagnosed as having suffered an epileptic seizure after he displayed unusual behaviour and failed to recognise his parents. He was put on a ventilator and died a week later, with the cause of death listed as stroke.

“Brain haemorrhage took place due to sustained emotional stimulation of the brain. The boy had overworked," said Alexei Sulimov, a spokesperson for Yekaterinburg hospital.

“He was practically dying in that computer games club, but he still continued to play. This was the result of emotional stress because he was obsessed with the games.

"Apart from his obsession with computer games he was a healthy kid and there was no reason why he should not have had a long and healthy life," Sulimov said.