Date Published: 01/11/2021
ARCHIVED - Spain sixth deadliest country for taking selfies
One person dies every week in Spain while taking a dangerous selfie
In the generation of the selfie, there is hardly a person left on the planet who hasn’t taken a photo of themselves to document their travels or moments of importance. But the trend is leading to deadly consequences, according to a new study published by the iO Foundation, which has found that Spain is among the countries in the world that has registered the most deaths from taking precarious selfies.
Between January and July of 2021, 31 people have died while posing in dangerous places for a selfie, which translates to one death every week. Indeed, since the beginning of 2008, 379 people have lost their lives. Spain now ranks as sixth in the world, alongside Australia, for the country in which most people die while taking selfies. The top spots for deadly snaps are held by India, the United States and Russia.
Two of the most infamous cases occurred in India. The first was a man who was recording an oncoming train, but failed to jump out of the way on time before it hit him. The other tragedy occurred when a 35-year-old man tried to take a selfie at Gokak Falls, when he tripped and fell from a height of around 50 metres.
In Spain, several high-profile cases have also been recorded. Recently, a 26-year-old Ukrainian girl fell from a castle in Benidorm while trying to take a photo with a friend, while back in 2016, another young woman died in the Los Hocinos area of Cuenca while posing for a selfie.
The study has listed the 10 most deadly places in the world for taking selfies, so travellers know to beware when trying to take the perfect holiday snap.
- Niagara Falls, on the border between the US and Canada
- Glen Canyon, United States
- Charco de Burro, Colombia
- Playa de Penha, Brazil
- Catarata de Miango, Kenia
- The Urals, Russia
- Taj Mahal, India
- Doodhpathri, India
- Isla Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia
- Langkawi Archipelago, Malaysia
Image: Archive
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