With the hype around Pokemon Go dwindling in the past year, not many people have been actively playing it in recent times.
However, there still are a number of dedicated fans who regularly play this game.
In Singapore last Sunday (26th February) evening, a 67 year-old man went out Pokemon-hunting in Marina Bay Sands and caught a ‘Lapras’, one of the rare monsters in the game, along with a second-generation Pokemon called ‘Granbull’.
The grandpa managed to reach level 28 and had captured over 2000 different types of Pokemon.
Sadly, shortly after catching the rare Pokemon, it was reported that the man suffered a heart attack and passed away after he was rushed to the hospital.
Some speculated that he may have gotten overly excited over the rare catch. Others think the two incidents may not be related at all.
This is one of many Pokemon Go-related accidents that have occurred since the game was released last August. One incident in Malaysia involved 2 men getting hit by a car while they were engrossed in the game.
Another accident involved a journalist in Kuala Lumpur, who fell off his motorcycle from trying to catch a ‘Charmander’ while he was driving. Luckily, he only suffered light bruises on his chin and body.
In one more incident, a man from Kuantan was fined RM300 for playing the game while driving. He was warned by a traffic police officer to not use his phone while driving on the road, as he could have gotten in an accident.
Incidents like these had caused politicians to call for a ban on the game, while netizens voiced out that it isn’t the game that’s the problem, but the irresponsible people who played it.
Also read: How This Man Met His Wife While Playing Pokemon Go Will Melt Your Heart