3B Junior Pop Star In Coma After Helium Stunt

A member of the Japanese pop group 3B Junior has been left in a coma after inhaling helium during a stunt on a television show, according to a broadcaster.

The 12-year-old girl is part of the 25-strong collective of 10-to-16-year-olds and was one of five youngsters taking part in a variety show on 28 January, TV Asahi said.

She was inhaling helium from a canister as part of a game when she fell unconscious.

The girl was taken to a hospital in Tokyo, with media reports claiming she was found to have suffered an embolism in the blood supply to her brain.

A spokesman for Asahi told the AFP news agency on Thursday: "There are signs of recovery, but she is still not fully fit."

The girl's name has not been revealed because she is a minor.

TV Asahi apologised for the stunt and launched an internal investigation.

The channel said the gas canister was marked for adult use only.

Shows in Japan often involve people taking part in dangerous or humiliating tasks.

In 2012, a popular comedian broke his back while jumping into a swimming pool as part of a TV programme.

Deaths have been recorded after people have inhaled helium.

The UK's Public Health Agency warns that it "deprives vital organs of essential oxygen" and can cause "dizziness, headache and suffocation".