Malaysian priest dies from heart attack while trying to beat record for being steamed on coal pile

A 70-year-old Taoist priest died on Monday evening, after suffering a fatal heart attack during a ‘steaming’ ritual at a temple in Perlis, Malaysia, where he was ‘steamed’ alive on a coal pile while he was covered by a large metal container.

The victim, Lam, had supposedly been a renowned practitioner of the ‘steaming ritual. At the time of his death, he had been attempting to break the current record set at 75 minutes.

As he reached the half-hour mark, he began slamming the metal container from inside. When his aides removed the metal container, Lam was found trembling in shock.

He passed away soon after.

Malaysian daily The Star reported that Lam underwent a heart bypass surgery two years ago prior to the fatal ‘steaming’ ritual attempt.