Scared to death? Malaysian teen dies after visiting haunted house

A 16-year-old boy died after suffering a heart attack inside a haunted house at a well-known tourist attraction in Bentong, Malaysia last Wednesday (Dec 1).

According to Malaysian media, Kosmo, he was on vacation with a close friend's family and they decided to visit a haunted house.

While inside the haunted house, the teenager suddenly collapsed and was immediately unconscious.

Bentong District Police Chief, Superintendent Zaiham Mohd Kahar told media that the case was classified as sudden death and the body of the deceased has been sent to Melaka, where he resides.

Zaiham added that, according to the autopsy, the deceased had a perforated heart.

A video of the incident — almost 3-minute-long — has been circulating on Facebook and it has garnered 244,000 views and 600 comments.

In the clip, the unconscious teen was carried out of the haunted house into an open area. He was pale and not responding to the commotion around him.

According to non-profit academic medical centre Cleveland Clinic, in rare cases, unexpected scares can trigger a heart attack, especially among those who suffer from heart conditions.

The fear from being startled can also have extreme effects — death being one of them.

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amierul@asiaone.com