Pop Star Coma Helium - A member of a popular Japanese singing group has fallen into a coma after she inhaled helium during the recording of a game show in Tokyo on Jan. 28.
Local media say the 12-year-old member of 3B Junior had been recording an episode of '3B Junior Stardust Shoji' game show in a studio at the headquarters of TV Asahi. She reportedly inhaled helium from a canister - to alter her voice - as part of a game before she fell unconscious.
According to TV Asahi, the unidentified teenager was immediately transferred to a Tokyo hospital. A spokesperson for the station says although she is showing some signs of recovery (like moving her limbs and eyes), she is not "fully fit."
The news of the pop star falling into coma after inhaling helium has made the headlines across the world. Local sources say it took TV Asahi about a week to make the incident known to the public.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has reportedly revealed that the incident reeks of professional negligence. But no arrest has been made and no one has been charged at the moment.
The management of TV Asahi admitted their culpability in the incident after disclosing that the canister the 12-year-old member of 3D Junior was inhaling helium from had been labeled 'for adults use only.' They have further apologized to the family of the girl and all other people involved in the incident.
Experts say the pop star went into a coma after suffering a brain air embolism, whereby air bubbles disrupt the passage of blood to the brain. Although inhaling helium is a popular party trick across the world, medics warn against because it often leads to vital internal organs being deprived of oxygen.
