A heartbreaking incident in Baku has shaken families and educators, renewing concerns about dangerous online content targeting teenagers.
The case occurred in the Binagadi district, in the Rasoulzade settlement, where the parents of a 13-year-old girl discovered her unresponsive in their apartment late in the evening. Emergency responders could only confirm her death.
After the incident, the family examined the girl’s mobile phone and found material that deeply alarmed them. According to her father, police later reviewed the device and identified repeated viewing of disturbing videos during late-night hours.
“After everyone went to sleep, she watched frightening content on her phone. I had no idea. The police investigation showed she had been viewing images of a very troubling nature. In one notebook, she had even drawn something she saw,” the father told local media.
Possible Link to the “Blue Whale” Challenge
Separately, journalist and social-media analyst Zulfiya Abulfaz reported on social networks that the girl – identified as Tarlan Mammadova – may have been influenced by the so-called “Blue Whale” suicide game, a phenomenon previously linked to self-harm cases among minors in several countries.
According to Abulfaz, the tragedy unfolded late Sunday when the girl was briefly home alone. Her mother, who works as a nanny, had been asked to stay later than usual by her employers, who were attending a wedding. The father and older brother had driven to pick her up. During that time, the girl remained in the apartment by herself.
When the family returned, they found her hanging from a pull-up bar installed in the corridor—a bar she reportedly used daily for exercise.
Abulfaz wrote that the parents initially thought she was playing a joke, but when the girl did not react to touch or sound, they realized the situation was grave.
She was a student at School No. 143 and had dreams of becoming a police officer. She regularly attended preparatory courses and used the pull-up bar to increase her height.
Phone Examination Underway
Police are analyzing the contents of her phone. Early observations reportedly include a chilling message: “Today is the last day.” Authorities have not yet issued an official statement confirming whether the girl was involved in the “Blue Whale” challenge.
Her family is described as stable, caring, and hardworking. Neighbors and acquaintances say the parents were attentive and deeply invested in their children’s future.
The incident has reignited calls for tighter oversight of online platforms and greater parental awareness of the digital risks facing teenagers.
