Chinese man dies after three-day computer gaming binge

A Chinese man has died playing computer games for three-straight days without sleeping and hardly eating anything, according to China media reports.

Reportedly, the 30-year-old man lost consciousness at an internet cafe just outside of Beijing. He was rushed to a hospital but could not be resuscitated.

The man reportedly spent more than 10,000 yuan (about $1500) on gaming in the final month of his life.

According to media reports, addiction to internet gaming is a growing problem -- researchers believe tens of millions of Chinese people, including many teenagers, suffer from the affliction.

More than three years ago, a 30-year old woman in the province of Guangzhou, died of exhaustion after three days of internet gaming.

With more than 450 million internet users in China, online games are extremely popular, especially with young men.

Researchers say tens of millions of Chinese people - many of them teenagers - are addicted to internet gaming, despite measures introduced by authorities to alleviate the problem.