New Delhi: The obsession to be one-up on other social media users can cause great harm.
Driven by the desire to click the perfect selfie, people end up taking risks which can even cost their lives. For instance, there have been incidents in India where people have got run over while trying to take a selfie on a railway track, completely unaware of an approaching train.
A recent study has revealed the world’s most dangerous countries for snapping selfies. And would you believe it, India tops the list!
The study, conducted by The Barber Law Firm, has found that India accounts for 42.1% of global selfie-related incidents.
There were 271 casualties while taking selfies or groupfies, including 214 deaths, in India.
Besides railway tracks, other potentially dangerous backdrops are crowded tourist hotspots and cliffs.
Other dangerous countries
The United States ranks second with 45 casualties (37 deaths, 8 injuries). Waterfalls, rooftops and highways have been found to be the major locations for clicking risky selfies.
Russia comes third with 19 casualties (18 deaths, 1 injury). Deadly stunts here are attempted near icy landscapes, bridges and skyscrapers.
Pakistan, with 16 deaths, is ranked fourth. The numbers are quite high despite comparatively low tourism figures in the country.
Australia ranks fifth with 15 casualties (13 deaths, 2 injuries). Incidents related to selfies have been reported from the Outback cliffs to dangerous coastal edges.
Rounding off the top 10 most dangerous countries are — Indonesia (14 casualties), followed by Kenya, the United Kingdom, Spain and Brazil (13 each).
