Gardaí investigate if schoolgirl (14) died after taking part in ‘TikTok challenge’

The 14-year-old took ill at a property in the south-west of the country over the weekend and was rushed to a Dublin hospital.

She was pronounced dead on Monday morning. Gardaí have notified the coroner of the death and an investigative file is being prepared.

At this stage, investigators believe the teenager became seriously ill after inhaling aerosol after seeing a ‘challenge’ on TikTok. The trend is commonly known as ‘chroming’.

One source described what happened as “an extremely tragic incident” but said it could take some time to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the schoolgirl’s death.

Emergency services were called to the teenager’s aid on Friday. She was transported to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin before being moved to Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin.

A garda spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána have notified the coroner of the death of a girl (14) which occurred at Crumlin Children’s Hospital. An Garda Síochána’s focus is the preparation of an investigation file for the coroner.”

The teen – who is from a very respected family – was a second-year student.

The principal of her school told the Irish Independent it has triggered its critical incident response plan and is receiving support from the Department of Education.

​“This is a tragedy for the family, for the community and for our school,” the principal said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family at this most difficult time.

“We have put in place supports for her friends and classmates, and anyone else in the school who is impacted by this terrible tragedy.”

A spokesperson for TikTok said in a statement: “Our deepest sympathies are with the family experiencing this tragic loss. Content of this nature is prohibited on our platform and would be removed if found. We will continue to prioritise protecting and supporting our community, working with expert partners and providing safety resources to those who need them.”