Beijing: A young man in China had to undergo surgery to get a cigarette lighter removed from his stomach which he swallowed to win a USD 128 bet.
The man, in his early twenties, works at a restaurant and was worried about paying his rent.
A co-worker said they were at a nearby restaurant when someone said he would pay 800 yuan (USD 128) to anyone who swallowed a lighter.
The young man accepted the challenge and swallowed the lighter. He was then rushed to a hospital in Ningbo, Zhejiang province.
According to the `Global Times`, the man was not paid for winning the bet.
"It`s fortunate the lighter was taken out fast and did not wound his stomach," a hospital doctor said.
The lighter could have pierced the stomach if it was not removed quickly.
The man left immediately after surgery, without paying the hospital fees, the report said.
