BOILING WATER CHALLENGE IS SENDING PEOPLE TO HOSPITAL WITH BURNS

[NANO]

A new social media trend that sees people throw boiling water into freezing air has landed several participants in the hospital.

The “boiling water challenge,” also known as the cold challenge, became po[CENSORED]r during last week's polar vortex in the US, and has since spread to other parts of the globe.

However, hospitals are warning that the challenge is not worth the resulting pictures - after eight people were treated for burns at the burn centre of Loyola University Medical Centre in Chicago.

According to CNN, a spokesperson for the hospital said the participants were treated for injuries to their “feet, arms, hands, face, and varying degrees of burns, as well.”

The challenge is done by throwing boiling water into the air, which then instantly condenses - resulting in powdery snowflake shapes.