Liay: Russian poker star, 26, dies after ‘accidentally electrocuting herself with hairdryer in bath’

Lilya Novikova’s parents raised alarm when they couldn’t contact her at home

A 26-year-old Russian poker star has died after electrocuting herself in the bath with a hairdryer in her family’s Moscow apartment, according to local media.

Lilya Novikova’s body was found in the bathroom by a neighbour after her parents raised the alarm when they had been unable to get hold of her for several hours.

Ms Novikova was well known in the e-sports and online gaming community and went under the name Liay.

Russian news site MK (Moskovsky Komsomolets) said doctors had given a preliminary cause of death as accidental.

Russia’s Investigative Committee, an official government body, said there were signs of electrocution injuries on Ms Novikova’s body. An investigation has been launched but all reports suggest it was a tragic accident.

The person who found her body was reportedly an elderly neighbour who lived in the same building and had a set of keys to the apartment.

Ms Novikova was a design engineer and had graduated from the prestigious Bauman Moscow State Technical University – the second oldest educational institution in the country.

Her “outstanding intellect and deep mathematical knowledge” helped her to pull off significant poker victories, MK reported.

She filmed masterclasses in poker which were widely followed online and was also a keen cyclist and snowboarder.

She reportedly died four days before her 27th birthday.