Police in Mumbai have declared selfie-free zones across the city after a teen and her would-be rescuer drowned, following an attempted photo by three friends at the edge of the Arabian Sea.
The teen and two friends reportedly slipped from rocks and fell into the ocean while taking a selfie at a popular landmark in India's most populous city. A man who jumped in to assist was able to help two of the girls to shore before drowning himself. The body of the third girl has not been found.
In the wake of the tragic deaths, police have identified more than a dozen "no selfie zones" throughout the city.
“After the unfortunate incident we have decided to identify 16 spots where taking selfies can be dangerous, but we may add more,” Deputy Commissioner Dhananjay Kulkarni said, according to The Guardian. “We have written to the municipal corporation to put some warning signs up at such points. We want them to deploy some lifeguards also."
Signs have reportedly popped up declaring popular festival sites as off-limit backdrops for the smartphone pics. Other areas targeted by the ban include tourist attractions Bandra Bandstand, Sion Fort, and Worli Fort, according to the BBC.
The death of the teen was sadly far from the first time a life has been lost in the act of capturing the perfect shot. As Foreign Policy notes, deaths related to the act have been reported in places like Romania, Russia, and the United States. If you needed any more reason to be careful while taking your own selfies — here's one statistic that is sure to stick with you: one count found that more people had died from selfies than shark attacks as of September of last year.
The death of the teen was sadly far from the first time a life has been lost in the act of capturing the perfect shot. As Foreign Policy notes, deaths related to the act have been reported in places like Romania, Russia, and the United States. If you needed any more reason to be careful while taking your own selfies — here's one statistic that is sure to stick with you: one count found that more people had died from selfies than shark attacks as of September of last year.