Five times more fatal than sharks: Report lays out high-risk selfie stakes

The incredible risks people take to capture the perfect selfie means snapping the ideal self-portrait is now five times more deadly than shark attacks, new research has found.

Between October 2011 and November 2017, at least 259 people died while taking selfies around the world, while only 50 people were killed in shark attacks during the same time period. 

Though women take more selfies than their male counterparts, young men are most at risk – comprising some three quarters of all selfie deaths – because of their risk-taking practices which can end in drownings, falls and crashes. 

The report, published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, claims India holds the record with more than half of the world’s selfie deaths, at 159 known incidents. There are now several ‘no selfie’ zones across India, with six in Mumbai alone. 

Russia came second on the list with 16 selfie-deaths, while the US was close behind at 14. In Russia, a number of people have fallen from bridges and high-rise buildings, while in the US it’s more common to accidentally shoot oneself while posing for the perfect shot. 

Over the years tourists have become particularly vulnerable as they increasingly try to take selfies atop steep landmarks like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. In April, Phuket International Airport took the extreme measure of threatening tourists with the death penalty for taking dangerous “runway selfies.” 

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