Four family members drown in reservoir while posing for selfies
In yet another incident of selfie-related death in India, four members of a family died on Sunday while trying to click a selfie near the Pambaru dam in Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu. Reportedly, six members of the family, including a newly-wed couple and a minor, were posing for a selfie in waist-deep water in Uthangarai. India has the highest number of recorded selfie-related deaths.
Newly-weds were visiting relatives in Uthangarai
According to The Hindu, the newly-wed couple, G. Perumalsamy (24) and V. Nivedha (20), are from Bargur in Krishnagiri and were visiting relatives in Uthangarai accompanied by Perumalsamy's sister Yuvarani. The relative's two daughters, Sneha (18) and Kanniga (19), and son Santosh (14) joined the trio to visit the Pambaru dam, where they linked hands to click a selfie when the tragedy occurred.
14-year-old slipped dragging others with him
Santosh slipped, dragging his two sisters along with Nivedha and Yuvarani with him. Perumalsamy managed to save Yuvarani, however, the others quickly disappeared under the water. Their bodies were retrieved and sent to the Uthangarai Government hospital. Perumalsamy and Nivedha got married just last month.
Krishnagiri Collector warns against clicking selfies near water bodies
Meanwhile, according to The News Minute Krishnagiri district collector S Prabhakar issued a warning after Sunday's tragedy saying, "When a few college students go near water bodies to indulge in selfie-taking, they unexpectedly end up falling in it. Therefore, be advised not to take selfies in water bodies." He added, "The young and old in Krishnagiri district should cooperate to avoid deaths."
Krishnagiri witnessed several deaths due to drowning in recent past
Citing a local news outlet, TNM reported that recently, the Krishnagiri district has witnessed 19 deaths related to drowning. Selfie-related deaths have also become increasingly common in India. In a horrific tragedy from May, three teenagers died clicking a selfie on railway tracks in Haryana. Between 2011 to 2017, 259 selfie-related deaths were recorded and India accounted for half of them.
