Selfies, a social phenomenon that involves the taking of self-portrait photographs, are usually done in the name of good fun. However, they do not always end up well.
On August 8, a Polish couple fell to their death while attempting to take a selfie with their children at the cliffs at Cabo da Roca along Portugal’s western coast.
The family were on holiday at the cliffs when the tragedy happened. The children, aged five and six, are now in the care of Polish diplomats.
The tragedy was one of several unfortunate selfie-induced accidents that have taken place this year.
Here are five other incidents when simply taking a selfie has proven to be fatal.
1. Russia: 17-year-old falls from railway bridge
Seventeen-year-old Xenia Ignatyeva fell nine meters to her death while attempting to take a selfie atop a railway bridge.
As she fell, Ms Ignatyeva tried to grab electrical wires and was electrocuted as a result.
The avid amateur photographer was only a month away from her 18th birthday when the tragedy occurred in St Petersburg, Russia, around late April.
According to the Mirror, train tracks have been attracting youngsters looking for an adrenaline rush to go with their selfies.
2. US: Woman taking selfies while driving
Screengrab from www.independent.co.uk
One minute she was posting selfies and Facebook status updates. The next, she was in a deadly crash.
In June, Miss Courtney Sanford, 32, was driving along Interstate 85, a US highway. She had just finished utilizing social media when her car crashed head-on into a truck and burst into flames.
The crash proved deadly for Sanford.
The incident was, according to police spokesman Lieutenant Chris Weisner “a grim reminder for everyone” to pay attention when driving.
3. Italy: Teenager plunges to death on rocks
The picturesque Italian seaside town of Taranto was the scene of a tragedy in June when 16-year-old Isabella Fracchiolla died after falling 18 meters onto jagged rocks.
The teenager, who was trying to take a selfie, sustained serious injuries to her femur, pelvis and head from the fall.
Although she underwent an operation at a hospital, she died from her injuries.
4. Mexico: Man shoots and kills himself while taking selfie
In July, a 21-year-old Mexico City resident Oscar Otero Aguilar died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while taking a selfie.
According to reports in Mexican newspaper Excelsior, he had been drinking with friends before the incident.
In his intoxicated state, he forgot that the gun was loaded, and while waving it around during the selfie-taking, shot himself. He died shortly after.
The city’s Ministry of Public Security considers the event an accident, and according to the latest media reports, no charges have been pressed against his friends who were present at the scene.
5. Philippines: Schoolgirl suffers fatal fall down stairs while taking selfie
The victim, a Grade 9 student, died while receiving treatment for the head wounds and hip fracture she sustained in the fall.
Police said the girl and a classmate were hanging out near the stairwell during a class break when they decided to have some fun by taking selfies.
She was immediately brought by the assistant principal and other staff members to the nearest hospital, where she died from her injuries about an hour later.
The teenager was also seen taking an energy drink while taking photos of herself when she fell off and landed on a second-floor platform.
The incident sparked a discussion on whether cell phones should be banned in schools. The Philippines’ Department of Education has yet to impose measures to curb the use of these phones among students.
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