Maharashtra: Train runs over two youths playing PUBG
What's the story
In a shocking incident which sheds limelight on PUBG addiction, two young men were run over by a train in Maharashtra while they were playing the online game. The incident happened on Saturday evening at Khatkali Bypass in Hingoli, which is about 570 kilometer away from Mumbai, police said on Sunday. The bodies were discovered by locals in the late hours of Saturday.
What happened
Hyderabad-Ajmer train hit the youths
The deceased were identified as 24-year-old Nagesh Gore and 22-year-old Swapnil Annapurne. They were playing the game close to the tracks. Police said they were mowed down by Hyderabad-Ajmer train. "Their bodies were found late at night by people living in the vicinity," an official said. Subsequently, an accidental death report was registered at the Hingoli police station, the official added.
Past incident
In February, Mumbai-teen, who was addicted to PUBG, committed suicide
The online game, which has become a rage in India, has also turned out to be a bane. In February this year, an 18-year-old boy allegedly committed suicide after his parents refused to buy him a new phone. The Mumbai teen wanted a phone costing around Rs. 37,000 to play PUBG but his parents weren't ready to spend more than Rs. 20,000.
Ban
Last week, Rajkot police arrested 10 for playing PUBG
The fear that PUBG leads to violence and aggression among players has prompted administration, in a few parts of India, to put a ban on it. In Rajkot, police banned the game and arrested 10 people last week. The police said the "accused" were "caught" breaking the rules. Though they were released on bail soon, police managed to send a strong message.
Game
PUBG addiction is more harmful than one would imagine
PUBG, which originated in South Korea, crossed 200 million downloads in December last year and has over 30 million daily active users. In the first quarter of 2018, the game was downloaded more than apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Snapchat, the Sensor Tower report said. While most players love being engrossed in the game, the latest incident shows PUBG is not all fun.