Research reveals Taking selfies has killed more people than sharks this year

Taking selfies has killed more people than sharks this year

zainab quadri

September 22, 2015 3:52 PM

It seems that taking selfie is actually quite a dangerous endeavor, and many people have died while doing so.

Even though Sharks might be seen as the deadliest predator in existence, but there's a greater danger to your life - the selfie.

According to a new study, there have now been more deaths this year from selfies than there have been from shark attacks. The death toll for selfie-related deaths now totals 12 people, whereas deaths related to shark attacks totals 8 people. Mashable reports

A 66-year-old Japanese tourist died last week while taking a picture of himself at India's Taj Mahal when he slipped backwards on some stairs.

It sounds like a joke, but unfortunately it isn't: The deaths are a tragic reminder to travelers that focusing on a phone screen instead of unfamiliar surroundings is not safe.

Four of the selfie deaths this year, like the tourist, identified as Hideto Ueda, were caused by falling.

The next leading cause of deaths involving selfies was being hit or injured by trains, either because the individual was taking trying to get a photo with a train or because the photo they wanted involved getting on dangerous equipment.

A teenage girl from Moscow was critically wounded after trying to take a selfie with a pistol pressed against her temple in May. The 21-year-old was at her office when she took a 9-millimeter rubber-bullet pistol and decided to take a selfie. She accidentally pressed the trigger and the bullet ricocheted off a wall right into her head.

The same month a man from Singapore died in Bali after falling off a cliff while taking a selfie. Mohammed Aslam Shahul, 21, lost his balance and fell into the sea off a cliff while on vacation with his friends.

With no idea how far some people will go for a great selfie, many landmarks have begun banning selfies or at least selfie sticks.

zainab quadri