This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/25/mumbai-no-selfie-zones-string-fatal-accidents-india

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Mumbai enforces 'no-selfie' zones after string of fatal accidents Mumbai enforces 'no-selfie' zones after string of fatal accidents
(about 11 hours later)
Mumbai has declared 16 no-selfie zones across the city, as authorities warn people against taking unnecessary risks in pursuit of the perfect portrait. Mumbai has declared 16 no-selfie zones across the city after a spate of accidental deaths linked to what India’s popular press has dubbed “selfie fever”.
Fuelled by the celebrity fad for smartphone camera self-portraits, India’s youth have been gripped by a craze for selfies taken in unusual spots and at unique angles.
But a thirst for social media self-aggrandisement has made the country the world leader in selfie-related fatal accidents. Since 2014, 19 of the world’s 49 selfie-linked deaths have occurred on the subcontinent, according to one recent analysis.
Related: 2015: the year of dangerous selfiesRelated: 2015: the year of dangerous selfies
India is home to the highest number of people who have died while taking photos of themselves, with 19 of the world’s 49 recorded selfie-linked deaths since 2014, according to San Francisco-based data service provider Priceonomics. The statistic may in part be due to India’s sheer size, with 1.25 billion citizens and one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone markets. But it is also no doubt down to its globalised popular culture. India’s newspapers regularly cover stories about celebrity selfies as well as condemnatory diatribes against the dangers of such vanity.
The statistic may in part be due to India’s sheer size, with 1.25 billion citizens and one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone markets. Now, after an intervention from members of Mumbai’s municipal council, the city’s police have now declared selfies off-limits in areas perceived as risky – particularly coastal spots with no railings or barriers.
Alarmed by the trend, Mumbai police have declared selfies off-limits in areas perceived as risky – particularly along the coastline in spots with no railings or barriers. Anyone venturing into off-limits areas, even if they take no photos, risks being slapped with a fine of 1,200 rupees (about £12.50/US$18). Calling for the measure earlier this month, local politician Abhishek Ghosalkar claimed such a ban would follow in the footsteps of western countries. “They have realised the potential danger of the habit, and even psychologists have termed it as a kind of disorder,” he said. “That is why I have demanded that the civic body identify such locations and declare them as no-selfie zones.”
Earlier in February, an 18-year-old college student on a class picnic lost his balance while taking a selfie atop a rock near a dam near the central Indian city of Nashik. He fell into the water and drowned, along with a classmate who jumped in to try to save him. Selfie fever has had tragic consequences across India. Earlier this month, an 18-year-old student on a class picnic lost his balance while taking a selfie atop a rock by a dam near the central Indian city of Nashik. He fell into the water and drowned, along with a classmate who jumped in to try and save him.
In January, an 18-year-old woman fell and drowned in the sea while taking a photo of herself at Mumbai’s Bandstand Fort, a popular tourist spot. Last month, an 18-year-old woman fell and drowned in the sea while taking a photo of herself at Mumbai’s Bandstand Fort, a popular tourist spot. Two of her friends had to be rescued by a passerby.
An engineering student sustained fatal head injuries when a rock he was standing cracked and sent him tumbling. He had been trying to take a selfie with friends in front of the Kolli Hills in Tamil Nadu. An engineering student sustained fatal head injuries when a rock on which he was standing cracked and sent him tumbling. He’d been trying to take a photo with friends in front of the Kolli Hills in Tamil Nadu.
And in January 2014, three students aged 20 to 22 died when they stopped to take a photo with a speeding train approaching, and were hit. They’d been on their way to visit the Taj Mahal.
Related: 'A selfie with a weapon kills': Russia launches campaign urging photo safetyRelated: 'A selfie with a weapon kills': Russia launches campaign urging photo safety
After the woman’s death in January, the city’s police conducted a survey to identify such dangerous places, police official Dhananjay Kulkarni said. The city also plans to run an awareness campaign. In January 2014, three students aged 20 to 22 died when they stopped to take a photo with a speeding train approaching, and were hit. They’d been on their way to visit the Taj Mahal.
Despite clearly marked signs demarking the selfie-free zones, people can still be seen clicking away, and often going to the edges or standing on ledges to get the most thrilling shots. After the 18-year-old woman’s death last month, Mumbai police conducted a survey to identify such dangerous places, police official Dhananjay Kulkarni said. The city also plans to run an awareness campaign.
“When you are travelling alone, and do not have anyone to take your pictures, then it’s only selfie,” said Murtuza Rangwala, a student in Mumbai. Globally, young people aged 21 and under are the victims of more than two-thirds of selfie-related deaths, according to San Francisco-based data service provider Priceonomics. Almost three-quarters of victims are male, and the top three causes are falling from heights, drowning or being hit by a train. After India, Russia tops the league table for selfie deaths, with seven since 2014, according to the research published last month.
Even prime minister Narendra Modi has embraced the medium, posting pictures online snapped with various world leaders. It is uncertain how many will pay heed to Mumbai’s ban. According to a report by the Associated Press on Thursday, people could still be seen clicking away in clearly marked selfie-free zones. Despite the well-publicised deaths, many still ventured close to edges and ledges to get the most thrilling shots to share online.
Murtuza Rangwala, a student in Mumbai, was quoted as saying: “When you are traveling alone, and do not have anyone to take your pictures, then it’s only selfie.”
Keerti Sachdeva, a Mumbai-based psychologist, said young people’s desire for recognition and acceptance lay behind the obsession. “You know people have this sort of feeling in adolescent age, especially that they need to get this acceptance from everyone, that I am a smart person, I am a good-looking person,” Sachdeva said. “So for acceptance and recognition they are indulging in the taking of selfies.”
Associated Press contributed to this report