A man has tragically died after downing a whole bottle of Jaegermeister in just two minutes, police have confirmed.
The South Africa resident, who hasn't been named, had been taking part in a drinking competition in Limpopo when he consumed the 35% spirit.
Local paper Sowetan Live reports that the man, believed to be between 25 and 30 years old, immediately collapsed and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the incident took place at a liquor store in Mashamba village where the contest was held to see who could drink an entire bottle of Jägermeister the fastest.
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A cash prize was offered of R200 cash, which is approximately £10.
Mojapelo said: "One of them immediately collapsed thereafter and was taken to the local clinic, where he was certified dead."
Health experts have previously warned against challenges involving consuming large amounts of alcohol in short spaces of time.
In a previous interview with The Huffington Post, Elaine Hindal, former chief executive at alcohol education charity Drinkaware, said: "Your body can only process one unit of alcohol an hour, and less in some people.
"Drink a lot in a short space of time and the amount of alcohol in the blood can stop the body from working properly."
Speaking to The Mirror, Martin Preston, the founder and chief executive at rehab retreat Delamere, explained the damage caused by binge-drinking.
"When you drink alcohol, it goes straight into your bloodstream and is carried to the brain. Vision can blur, co-ordination decreases, and memory is impaired," he said.
"Binge drinking can also cause people to black out. This is because the increase in the amount of alcohol in your brain can mean that you stop forming new memories.
"The risk of blacking out also becomes further heightened when a person binge drinks without eating anything first."
Preston continued: "Just like the liver, the kidneys are designed to filter out any waste or unneeded fluid in the body.
"But binge drinking, even once, can get in the way of what they are supposed to do.
"Alcohol stops certain hormones from being produced that will help your kidneys put water back into your body.
"When alcohol suppresses hormones it can cause dehydration which may contribute to how bad a hangover you have the next day."
As demonstrated in the tragic incident which unfolded this week, in more extreme cases binge-drinking can lead to death.
The NHS urges people to have several drink-free nights in the week, and to not exceed its limit of no more than 14 units in seven days.
If you want to discuss any issues relating to alcohol in confidence, contact Drinkline on 0300 123 1110, 9am–8pm weekdays and 11am–4pm weekends for advice and support
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: Food And Drink, World News
Daisy Phillipson