A self-styled ‘magic man’ tragically died after steaming himself in an attempt to ‘cleanse his body and soul’.
In 2017, ‘Black Dog’ Lim Ba suffered a severe heart attack and second-degree burns during the dangerous act inside a large metal pot with a fire underneath.
Lim, 68, was performing a “human steaming” stunt during a Nine Emperor God prayer session at the Chinese temple Kuala Sanglang Qinglong, in Malaysia’s Suala Sanglang.
Devotees first realised something was amiss when desperate knocks from inside the scorching “human steam” cover could be heard about 30 minutes into the act.
They swiftly removed the cover to find him unconscious.
Horrifying footage shows him convulsing uncontrollably as people scramble to move him away from the heat and onto the ground. His arms continue jerking into the air as he’s laid down and someone rushes for help.
The Taoist medium was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. His youngest son, Kang Huai, 32, revealed his father began performing the steaming act around 10pm that night, reports the Mirror.
He explained his father was on medication for hypertension and those outside knew when to remove the cover. He told Malaysia’s The Star: “By the time the ambulance arrived, my father had stopped breathing. He underwent a heart bypass last year due to on-and-off breathing difficulties.”
Despite repeated pleas to stop, Lim had been performing the human-steaming stunt for over a decade — once staying in there for 75 minutes.
During a performance at a Nine Emperor Gods celebration in Ayer Tawar, Perak, Kang Huai revealed that food items such as rice, sweet corn, and vegetarian buns were also placed inside the wok for steaming.
“My mother Ch’ng Siew Hong, my sisters and I are very sad. Our cheerful father has left us forever,” he expressed.
Lim’s daughter Wei Ling, 37, shared her father had complained about the heat on the way to the stunt and had lost his appetite.
Lim was recognised as a Taoist medium, adhering to the traditional Chinese religion which promotes living in harmony with the Tao.
The Federation of Taoist Associations of Malaysia (FTAM) president Tan Hoe Chioew stated that these types of rituals were not really part of mainstream Taoist rites but were more akin to a fa shu (theurgy or magic) performance.
He further explained that such feats were performed to attract believers and demonstrate the performer’s physical endurance.
