Tens of youths in Romania have suffered fractures and severe trauma following a TikTok trend called the Superman Challenge. The challenge has teens throwing themselves forward with one arm extended, like Superman, to be caught - or not - by friends.

Over 20 patients arrived in a single day at the Grigore Alexandrescu Hospital in Bucharest in connection to the online trend, and two required surgical intervention. 

Hospital manager Alexandru Ulici said that parents need to explain to their children that the challenge is dangerous as they might easily fall and injure themselves.

"We are sounding the alarm because it seems to be a worrying phenomenon, dangerous for children, and they could cause themselves severe injuries, missing both their classes and their vacation," said Alexandru Ulici, cited by News.ro. 

In recent days, images have appeared on TikTok showing teenagers throwing themselves forward with one arm stretched out. Instead of being caught by their friends, they are left to fall, causing serious injuries. Fractures take one or two months to fully heal, according to doctors.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Cateyeperspective | Dreamstime.com)