Selfie mania, which has proved fatal for some in recent incidents reported in the country, once again ended up as a harrowing experience for two girls during their recreation trip to Panjim. These girls who were on their jolly trip to Goa, after frolicking on the beach reportedly tried to take a selfie by sitting on top of a scaffolding against a large building. But suddenly the scaffolding structure collapsed due to the rickety base and the two girls received severe spinal injuries which according to the doctors could lead to paralysis of the lower part of their body.
It is pertinent to note that in the wake of the drowning deaths at Bandra in Mumbai, which took place when three girls were clicking selfies, the Mumbai police had begun a process of identifying spots mostly near beaches and forts in the city to ban selfies. It is understood that the Mumbai police have identified 16 “no-selfie zones” across the city on India’s west coast after a man drowned trying to save a girl who fell into the ocean while taking a photo of herself. It may be recalled that in September 2015, officials reportedly instituted “no-selfie zones” at the Kumbh Mela, to prevent bottlenecks in the enormous crowd. Goa is a tourist destination because of its numerous beaches and ancient forts and other places of interest.
A spot that could be particularly dangerous for taking selfies is the Dona Paula jetty. It would be in the fitness of things for the Goa Police to follow in the footsteps of the Mumbai Police and identify places dangerous for taking selfies and notify them as “No Selfie Zone”.
