A teenager in southwest China’s Sichuan Province committed suicide while broadcasting live on his microblog.

The young man, Zeng, was found unconscious in his house by police and taken to hospital, where he died.

Prior to his suicide, he had posted dozens of microblogs, expressing depression and loneliness.

“I decided to leave the world after deep consideration, don’t persuade me to live. I just hope it won’t be too painful,” read a typical post.

He took drugs and burned coal to produce toxic fumes on Sunday morning.

“I cannot save myself any more as the drugs took effect and I lost strength completely...” he wrote in his last entry.

Police began a search for him after they received tip-offs.

“He told me that he fell in love with a girl online, but he was not sure whether she loved him,” Zeng’s grandmother said,

“His parents were divorced when he was 2 years old and he lived with his mother. However, some years later, his mother remarried. So he has since lived with me,” she told police.

“I love you, but I’m sorry, I will disappear quickly,” Zeng wrote in one of his final entries.

During the process, many people tried to persuade Zeng not to kill himself, but to no avail. Others criticized him as an attention seeker.

“The process lasted for more than four hours, but it’s regrettable that we failed to save him,” was one comment.

There have been several similar cases in China.

“Such a case has a negative impact on society, especially those young men who have psychological problems. They may follow suit,” said Zhang Mingsuo, a sociology professor at Zhengzhou University in central China’s Henan Province.

“The government should take timely measures to reduce such tragedies. Schools and communities should also provide psychological consulting to help prevent suicide attempts.”