Over the last six years, more than 250 people worldwide have died while taking selfies, according to a new study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Of the 259 deaths, researchers found the leading cause to be drowning, followed by incidents involving some form of transportation, like taking a picture in front of an oncoming train, and falling from heights. According to The Washington Post, other causes of selfie-related deaths include animals, firearms and electrocution.
“The selfie deaths have become a major public health problem,” Agam Bansal, the study’s lead author, told The Post.
The study found India to have the highest number of deaths of all countries. Other fatalities came from Russia, the United States and Pakistan. Many of the fatalities included young people, with more than 85 percent of the victims between the ages of 10 and 30. Bansal also says that there could be more cases that were not documented, so the number of deaths may actually be higher.
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