Self-proclaimed ‘magic man’ dies trying to ‘cleanse body and soul’ inside giant boiling pot

'Black Dog' Lim Ba suffers a major heart attack and second-degree burns during the stunt at a Malaysian temple

A Taoist priest and self-proclaimed magic man accidentally steamed himself to death during a stunt to "cleanse his body and mind".

Lim Bar, known as Black Dog, suffered a heart attack and second degree burns inside a huge pot of boiling steam.

Devotees of the 68-year-old Taoist medium, 68, said they were alerted to a problem when they could hear "desperate knocks" coming from inside the "human steam" pot around 30 minutes into the stunt at the Chinese Kuala Sanglang Qinglong temple in the Malaysian city of Suala Sanglang.

Onlookers removed the cover to find him unconscious. As began convulsing as people made their best efforts to move him away from the scalding heat, according to The Star newspaper

He was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Lim had performed the same act regularly over a 10-year period. Vegetables, rice and buns also cooked to add to the authenticity.

The priest reportedly remained inside the covered-pot for 75 minutes during one performance.

Lim’s youngest son Kang Huai, 32, said his father began performing the steaming act around before they heard knocking noises from inside the steam cover.

The sounds were different to the ones his father usually made when it was time to remove the cover, he said.

"They seemed irregular," he said, adding that hs father was on medication for hypertension.

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He added: “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,” he said, .

"My mother Ch’ng Siew Hong, my sisters and I are very sad. Our cheerful father has left us forever."