Did You Know More People Die From Selfie Accidents Than Shark Attacks?
Close to a dozen selfie-related deaths have been reported this year.
By John Lim — 28 Sep 2015, 07:28 PM
Yup, you read that correctly! According to a report by Mashable, selfie-related accidents have killed more people worldwide this year than shark attacks.
It sounds like a joke, but unfortunately it isn't: The deaths are a tragic reminder to travelers that focusing on a phone screen instead of unfamiliar surroundings is not safe. Four of the selfie deaths this year, like the tourist, identified as Hideto Ueda, were caused by falling.
mashable.com
With the death of 66-year-old Japanese tourist, Hideto Ueda, who fell down from the stairs while taking a selfie at the Taj Mahal; the selfie-related death toll now stands at 12 compared to 8 deaths caused by shark attacks
Sixty six-year-old Hideto Ueda was said to have been taking a 'selfie' at the Taj Mahal’s Royal Gate, Sagar Singh, a local witness told the BBC. Mr Ueda was accompanied by three other people and a local guide when he collapsed after climbing up the stairs of the white marble tomb and fell, Sushant Gaur, an officer at the local police station in AgraA Japanese man has died from a heart attack after reportedly falling down the stairs of the historic Unesco World Heritage monument.
telegraph.co.ukLike Hideto Ueda, careless falls are the leading cause of 'selfie death', followed by collision with a train
Four of the selfie deaths this year, like the tourist, identified as Hideto Ueda, were caused by falling. The next leading cause of deaths involving selfies was being hit or injured by trains, either because the individual was taking trying to get a photo with a train or because the photo they wanted involved getting on dangerous equipment.
mashable.com
It might sound like a joke to some, but unfortunately, it isn't. More and more individuals are making headlines for their dangerous attempts at taking selfies.
Earlier this year, a man died after being gored by a bull in a Spanish town while trying to take a selfie with the animal
Spaniard David González Lopez, 32, had his back to the charging beasts while trying to film the bull run and did not see the one which attacked him until it was too late. Horrified onlookers watched as he suffered fatal injuries to his neck and thigh in the early hours of Sunday morning.
mirror.co.ukIn May, Mohamed Aslam Shahul from Singapore tripped over and fell over a cliff in Bali while attempting to take a selfie
A Singaporean man has died after falling off a cliff and into the sea while attempting to take a selfie on an island off the coast of Bali in Indonesia. Mohamed Aslam Shahul, 21, was killed after losing his balance and falling into the sea from a two-metre high cliff, during a holiday with eight friends at the Sandy Bay Beach in Nusa Lembongan.
theguardian.com
Two young men from Russia accidentally blew themselves up while taking a selfie holding a grenade with its pin pulled out
Two men who accidentally blew themselves up in the Russian Ural mountains when posing with a live grenade. The picture was discovered saved to the camera roll on one of the men’s phones.
theguardian.com
Alarmed by the spike in such accidents, the Russian government launched a campaign to make people understand the dangers of snapping selfies in dangerous situations
Russian police have launched a campaign urging people to take safer selfies after accidents caused by high-risk poses have resulted in about 100 injuries and dozens of deaths this year. “A cool selfie could cost you your life,” the interior ministry warned in a new leaflet packed with tips such as “a selfie with a weapon kills”.
theguardian.com
"Unfortunately we have noted recently that the number of accidents caused by lovers of self-photography is constantly increasing," said Yelena Alexeyeva, an aide to the interior minister.
"Before taking a selfie, everyone should think about the fact that racing after a high number of 'likes' could lead him on a journey to death and his last extreme photo could turn out to be posthumous," Alexeyeva warned.
These tragic deaths should serve as a reminder to all of us that focusing on a smartphone in an unsafe and unfamiliar is not safe. So, next time you wanna channel your inner Kim Kardashian to snap a selfie along a railway track, please think twice.
