A 12-YEAR-OLD boy accidentally shot a young girl while playing with his dad's shotgun - with the entire tragedy streamed live on Facebook.

In the video of the incident, the boy can be seen playing with the firearm, swinging it to point at the 12-year-old girl before a shot suddenly goes off.

5 The young boy can be seen holding the shotgun up to the girl's face Credit: LiveLeak

5 Local media reported that the 12-year-old boy had been playing with the firearm belonging to his dad when the tragedy unfolded Credit: LiveLeak

For a split second, there is a horrified silence before the youngsters start to scream for the young girl, named locally as Georgina Magali Vega.

According to Minuto Uno, the youngsters had been playing with the firearm at a home in Santa Rose de Calchines, a rural town in Argentina, when the tragedy unfolded.

In the video, the boy jokes "If you kill me, I'll kill you", with a clicking noise heard several times.

5 The entire incident was streamed live on Facebook Credit: LiveLeak

In the Facebook Live video, the youngsters can then be seen running out of the house, screaming for help.

Neighbours who heard the shot also rushed to the home, with emergency services called.

Nothing could be done for the young girl, who was declared dead at the scene.

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It is understood that the shooting is being treated as accidental.

Facebook has been criticised for allowing violent videos to be posted on the social media platform through the Live facility.

A number of tragic cases have been streamed online, including a case involving Jared McLemore, 33, who died from severe burns after torching himself outside a packed bar in Memphis, Tennessee, while live on Facebook.

A dinner party also took a horrific turn when a live video captured a banker’s assistant accidentally shooting his friend

5 Children can be heard screaming after the gun was fired, with paramedics rushing to the scene Credit: LiveLeak

5 The incident is being treated as accidental Credit: LiveLeak

Facebook has announced that it would be hiring 3,000 more staff to police content being shared on the online platform.

Mark Zuckerberg took to his own Facebook page, writing that he wanted to respond quickly to reports.

The reviewers will specifically be looking at content including hate speech and child exploitation.