This afternoon, just as the EXO members were about to leave to Hokkaido, Japan from Incheon International Airport, Chinese member Lay (real name Zhang Yixing; 張藝興) reportedly lost consciousness.
Several eye-witness accounts on social media confirmed that Lay had fainted right before boarding the plane and was quickly transported to the hospital from the airport.
According to the fans who were present at the airport, the 25-year-old idol did not regain consciousness (although people were fanning him and giving him water) while he was being shuttled to the hospital.
This is not the first time that Lay has fainted in full view of others. Back in May this year, he was rushed to the hospital after he lost consciousness on the set of a Chinese variety show, “Extreme Challenge”. He was put on an IV drip and given time to rest before he returned to filming. A Chinese media outlet later reported that Lay fainted due to exhaustion, citing a production staff of the show who said that the idol lacked rest due to his jam-packed schedule (conferences, drama filming, performances, etc).
Meanwhile, fans have since taken to Twitter to send their thoughts and prayers via the hashtag #GetWellSoonYixing. As at time of writing, the topic is currently trending, raking in tens of thousands of tweets from EXO-Ls worldwide.
EXO was scheduled to perform at a concert at the Makomanai Sekisui Heim Ice Arena on 12th and 13th October (Wednesday and Thursday). However, according to akp, the other EXO members’ plane schedules have also been cancelled after the incident. It is assumed that the members will be departing for Japan after Lay’s condition has been monitored.
Lay’s condition is currently unknown, but we’ll update this post with more information as soon as SM Entertainment releases an official statement regarding the above.
UPDATE (12th October, 12am):
In a quick update to fans on Lay’s condition, SM Entertainment stated that Lay fainted due to lack of sleep. “Thankfully, the doctor said all he needs is a good rest. Lay will be heading to the dorm to rest,” SM Entertainment said.
The agency added, “He has a strong desire to attend the concert, so we’ll make a decision after checking in on his condition.”
Sources: soompi, Twitter, akp (1), News Everyday, akp (2) / Featured image: sbs.com.au.
