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A teenager has died after playing video game Diablo III for 40 hours.

The 18-year-old, named locally as Chuang, died after failing to eat or sleep during his marathon gaming session.

The Taiwanese teen booked himself into a private room in an internet cafe at lunchtime on Friday, according to reports.

He was left to play until Sunday morning, when a member of staff came to check on him and found him resting on the table.

Chuang then woke up, took a few steps and collapsed.

He was rushed to hospital, but died shortly after his arrival.

A post mortem examination is due to be carried out to determine the cause of Chuang's death.

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However, authorities suspect that Chuang may have suffered a fatal blood clot, after spending such a long time seated.

Game maker Blizzard released a statement following the death.

A spokesman said: "We're saddened to hear this news, and our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time. We don't feel it would be appropriate for us to comment further without knowing all of the circumstances involved.

"While we recognise that it's ultimately up to each individual or their parent or guardian to determine playing habits, we feel that moderation is clearly important, and that a person's day-to-day life should take precedence over any form of entertainment."

In February this year a man died from a suspected heart attack after playing computer game League of Legends for 23 hours.

Police found the body of 23-year-old gaming enthusiast Chen Rong-yu slumped in his chair in a corner of an internet cafe in Taipei, Taiwan, on Wednesday.

His hands were still stretched out towards the keyboard and mouse, according to local reports.

Staff at the cafe said that Chen had been playing the game since Tuesday evening and took frequent nap breaks.

However, when a female empoloyee tried to wake him on the Wednesday his body was cold.

Chen's family told police that he suffered from a heart condition and officers believe that a combination of fatigue, lack of movement and the cold weather, may have caused him to have a heart attack.

In February last year a 30-year-old Chinese man died after a three-day online gaming session.

The man reportedly lost consciousness at an internet cafe on the outskirts of Beijing after not eating or sleeping.

In July the same year Brit Xbox gamer Chris Staniforth died from a blood clot after a marathon gaming session.

His dad, David, said that his son would would play on his Xbox for up to 12 hours at a time.

He said: "Chris lived for his Xbox. When he got into a game he could play it for hours and hours on end, sometimes 12 hours in a stretch. He got sucked in playing Halo online against people from all over the world.

“I’m not for one minute blaming the manufacturer of Xbox. It isn’t their fault that people use them for so long. But I want to highlight the dangers that can arise.”