GHAZIABAD, India — February 4, 2026 — Authorities confirmed that the sisters, identified as Vishika, 16, Prachi, 14, and Pakhi, 12, leapt from the balcony of their ninth-floor apartment in Bharat City at around 2:15 a.m. on Wednesday. Local police said they received reports that “three girls had jumped from the balcony of the ninth floor” and were declared dead at the scene.

Investigators revealed that the siblings had become deeply engrossed in a Korean online game, which their father had recently banned them from playing. According to NDTV, the girls were “obsessed with an online game from Korea and had recently been denied access to playing it.” The restriction reportedly triggered the tragic incident.

Police said the sisters bolted the door of their apartment before heading to the balcony and jumping one after the other. Their screams and the sound of their bodies hitting the ground woke their parents and security guards in the residential complex. The children were rushed to Loni Hospital but were declared dead on arrival.

Reports indicated that the sisters left behind a handwritten note addressed to their father, with the words “Sorry, Papa” written on it. The note expressed their frustration over losing access to their phone and the game they had been playing.

Neighbors and relatives described the sisters as inseparable, saying they did everything together, including eating, bathing, and sleeping. Their parents told investigators that the children’s fascination with Korean games and entertainment began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when they also developed an interest in K-pop music, Korean dramas, and television shows.

The Uttar Pradesh Police confirmed that an investigation is ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the deaths. “Upon reaching the scene, an investigation was conducted, revealing that three girls had died due to falling on the ground floor,” the police said in a statement.

The incident has sparked widespread shock and grief in the community, with many raising concerns about the growing problem of digital addiction among young people. The World Health Organization (WHO) had earlier classified gaming disorder as a mental health condition in 2019, describing it as “a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior that takes precedence over other life interests.”

Mental health experts in India have urged parents to monitor their children’s online activities more closely and to seek professional help if signs of gaming addiction appear. They stressed that while technology can be beneficial, excessive use can lead to isolation, poor academic performance, and in extreme cases, tragic outcomes.

As the investigation continues, the deaths of Vishika, Prachi, and Pakhi serve as a grim reminder of the dangers of unchecked digital dependency and the urgent need for stronger family and community support systems to protect vulnerable children.

A Mental Health Crisis Hidden Behind Entertainment

Digital entertainment is often treated as harmless leisure, yet addiction does not announce itself as a disorder. It hides behind routine habits until dependence becomes emotional collapse, especially among children with limited coping systems.

This tragedy exposes how gaming obsession is frequently dismissed as misbehavior rather than a mental health warning. Families are left to respond with bans and discipline, while schools and communities often lack the tools to detect early psychological distress or intervene before isolation deepens.

If entertainment can mask a crisis this severe, how many warning signs are being ignored until loss becomes the only alarm?