Did you know that the risk of dying from taking a selfie is four times higher than being killed in a shark attack? Between 2008 and 2021, there were 379 documented selfie-related deaths globally, as reported in a 2022 study published by the Journal of Travel Medicine. During the same timeframe, there were 90 fatalities due to unprovoked shark attacks. How did selfie-taking become so perilous? The National Institute of Health explains that while taking selfies isn’t inherently dangerous, the desire for social media attention pushes individuals to seek out hazardous locations to capture the perfect shot.
Most reported incidents of selfie-related injuries and deaths have occurred in India, the U.S., and Russia. Falls account for 44% of incidents, followed by drownings at 21% and train-related accidents at 16%, based on data from the Swiftest, an organization specializing in data analytics concerning societal and environmental matters.
Here are the top ten riskiest selfie spots worldwide (in alphabetical order):
1. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
2. Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
3. Indian railways
4. Machu Picchu, Peru
5. Mount Hua, China
6. Mount Vesuvius, Italy
7. Pamplona, Spain
8. Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
9. Trolltunga Rock, Norway
10. Yosemite National Park, California
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
The park averages approximately 17 deaths annually, with cardiac arrest being the leading cause. Over the past 36 years, there have been eight fatalities at the Grand Canyon attributed to individuals taking or posing for photos.
Horseshoe Bend, Arizona
This iconic site in northern Arizona, visited by 2 million people annually, has seen three fatal falls in the last six years.
Indian railways
In India, there have been at least 24 train-related selfie deaths from 2014 to 2024, with incidents involving individuals being struck by trains, electrocuted, or falling while attempting to take photos.
Machu Picchu, Peru
The ancient Incan citadel perched on a mountain ridge is renowned as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The site can be engulfed in fog and clouds in the mornings.
Rocks are often slippery and can pose a danger to visitors, as demonstrated by a tragic incident in 2016 when a 51-year-old German tourist lost his life at Mount Hua in China. The man had ventured into a restricted area in an attempt to capture a selfie, only to fall to his demise. Mount Hua, also known as Huashan Mountain, is famous for its precarious trails and is hailed as “the world’s most dangerous hike.” To aid climbers, planks are secured into the mountain at a height of 7,000 feet, with tourists mandated to wear safety harnesses. While the exact figures remain unknown, it is reported that up to 100 fatal accidents occur on Huashan annually. In a heartbreaking incident in 2019, a Chinese student met her untimely end while taking a selfie atop the mountain.
Moving on to Mount Vesuvius in Italy, this active volcano gained notoriety for its eruption in 79 A.D., which obliterated Pompeii. Although the most recent eruption took place during World War II in 1944, the volcano still poses risks. In July 2022, a 23-year-old American tourist narrowly escaped death after falling into Mount Vesuvius while attempting a selfie on an unauthorized path. Despite sustaining only minor injuries, the incident served as a stark reminder of the volcano’s perilous nature.
In Pamplona, Spain, the annual Running of the Bulls traces its origins back to the 13th century when it was a method of herding cattle. Today, it has evolved into a thrilling spectacle where participants run alongside the bulls, eager to evade being trampled. Tragedy struck in 2015 when a Spanish man was fatally gored by a bull while filming himself. Moreover, in 2019, an American man faced a near-death experience when he was gored in the neck by a bull while attempting to video himself during the event.
The scenic Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia, renowned for its cascading waterfalls and pristine lakes, witnessed a fatal accident in 2015 when a 54-year-old Slovak tourist fell to her demise while attempting to capture the picturesque scenery. Just a year later, in 2016, a Canadian tourist plummeted around 230 feet while taking a selfie but miraculously survived. Following the incidents, the Croatian Mountain Service issued a stern warning to tourists via a 2016 Twitter post, urging them to exercise caution and refrain from taking dangerous selfies.
Trolltunga Rock in Norway, a popular spot among tourists due to its stunning vista, lacks safety railings, making it a risky destination. In September 2015, a 24-year-old Australian student tragically fell to her death while posing for a photo, as reported by some media outlets. However, her family contested this narrative, claiming she lost her balance while trying to navigate past individuals taking photos at the cliff.
Yosemite National Park in California
