Tragedy struck at the Linn of Tummel waterfall in Scotland, where two university students lost their lives while attempting to capture a selfie. The victims, 26-year-old Jitendranath Karuturi and 22-year-old Chanhakya Bolisetti, from the University of Dundee, fell into the water during their trek near Pitlochry.
Local reports indicate that the fatal accident occurred as the men were taking selfies at the picturesque waterfall. Unfortunately, they lost their balance and fell into the water. Emergency services recovered their bodies on Wednesday evening.
The police have launched an investigation into the incident, although initial findings suggest it was a tragic accident with no suspicious circumstances.
This incident adds to a sobering statistic: between 2008 and 2021, 379 people worldwide lost their lives while attempting to take selfies. The majority of these incidents occurred in countries like India, Russia, the USA, and Pakistan, with accidents also reported in Spain, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. While some incidents involved car accidents or taking photos near moving trains, many occurred in natural tourist spots.
The dangers of selfie-taking have been highlighted in various incidents worldwide. In 2014, a Polish tourist died while attempting a selfie at the Tirana Bridge in Seville. A year later, seven individuals drowned in Lake Mangrul in India after their boat capsized during a group photo shoot.
In 2017, a South Korean tourist fell off a cliff at Seaford Head Reserve while posing for a photo, resulting in her death. Similar incidents occurred in the USA in 2018. However, there have been miraculous escapes, such as a man who survived falling into the Vesuvius volcano in 2022 while attempting a daring photo pose.
