More than 70 percent of all victims were ages 24 or younger.
A new study conducted by the researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and other institutions, titled “Me, Myself and My Killfie: Characterizing and Preventing Selfie Deaths†found that 127 people have died in a 29-month span through last September while trying to take selfies at dangerous or exotic locations.
Researchers also found that of all selfie related deaths happened across the world, India stood first with 76 deaths occurring in locations that are deemed “no-selfie zones†by the government in a bid to stop people from taking selfies in high risk areas.
In the United States, there were eight selfie-related deaths and three of them occurred when people tried to take a selfie with a weapon.
According to the study, a total of eight factors are behind the deaths, including elevation, water, weapons, vehicles, electricity and animals, and more than 70 percent of all victims were ages 24 or younger.
“We found that taking selfies on train tracks is a trend,†the study reads. “This trend caters to the belief that posting on or next to train tracks with their best friend is regarded as romatic and sign of never-ending friendship.â€
The study also found that, of the 127 selfie-related deaths identified, 24 incidents involved multiple lives lost. The study points to an incident near Mangrul Lake in Kuhi district in India as an example, where seven people drowned to death while trying to take a selfie from a boat.
“After analyzing selfie deaths, we can claim that a dangerous selfie is the one which can potentially trigger any of the above-mentioned reasons for selfie deaths. For instance, a selfie being taken on the peak of a mountain is dangerous as it exposes the selfie taker to the risk of falling down from a height,†the study adds.