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Mumbai has banned selfie-taking in 16 areas of the city following an increase in deaths linked to the smartphone photo craze.
India is home to the highest proportion 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 ban comes after an 18-year-old student lost his balance while taking a selfie on the top of a rock close to a dam near Nashik – a city close to Mumbai – earlier this month.
The college student fell into the water and drowned, along with a classmate who jumped in to try and save him.
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.
The high volume of deaths 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.
Other selfie-related deaths include an engineering student who sustained fatal head injuries when a rock he was standing on cracked and sent him tumbling. He had 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.
In 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, risk being slapped with a fine of 1,200 rupees (£13).
After the woman’s drowning death last month, 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.
However, despite clear signs demarking the selfie-free zones, people can often still be seen breaking the rules and taking photos in dangerous situations.
Mumbai psychologist Keerti Sachdeva said she does not expect the constant pursuit of selfies to end any time soon, saying one probable reason is the need for acceptance and love.
“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,” she said. “So for acceptance and recognition they are indulging in taking of selfies.”
