The ‘selfie-craze’ in recent times has proven to be more dangerous than just a bad picture, as countless victims have been killed while looking for the most dangerous and unusual places to take a ‘selfie’.
In October of last year, two Sri Lankan girls living in Oman drowned while trying to take a selfie in a water spring in Salalah, Oman. This year in May, a doctor attached to the Colombo National Hospital slipped and fell at the Makeli Ella in Palindanuwara. And in the second case of ‘death by selfie’ this year, two brothers were killed on the Colpetty-Bambalapitiya railway line as they attempted to take a selfie.
The Superintendent of the Railways Protection Force, Anura Premaratne speaking to Daily News said the use of phones on the railway tracks, committing suicide and crossing rail roads carelessly, continue to be a major issue for the Railways Department.
“Within the last six months around 20 people have died using phones on the rail roads. Within this week alone, four deaths of those who have lost their lives while taking selfies on the rail road have been reported,” he said.
Premaratne further explained that after the death of two young girls on the rail road near a restaurant in Dehiwela, the Railways Department conducted several awareness programmes and distributed leaflets about the danger of such activity and that people needed to be more careful when crossing the rail road. Sign boards alerting the public to the impending danger also have been placed on railway tracks from Colpetty to Mount- Lavinia.
“Another big issue is the unauthorized constructions closer to the railroads from Colpetty to Mount Lavinia. The rail road is the entrance to their houses. There are many famous restaurants along that way. During the weekend, large crowds visit the beaches and restaurants along Marine Drive and people have to cross the rail roads as they are the only way to access them. It is very dangerous,” he said.
Premaratne added that the Railways Department had suggested that the Urban Development Authority (UDA) build bridges over the rail roads along Marine Drive and he said that this was currently being discussed at ministerial level.
This phenomenon of risky selfies has become a trend worldwide and many countries have taken stern action to curb such irresponsible behaviour. The Russian government for example, launched a campaign to make young people think twice before snapping selfies in risky situations. The initiative was taken after a series of accidents in which adolescents were killed or seriously injured. India which had one of the highest selfie related deaths has taken action by declaring certain areas ‘no selfie’ zones. In Mumbai, they had declared 16 such areas and police patrol the areas. The Waterton Canyon Park in Denver, USA in the meantime, had to close because there were too many people trying to take selfies with bears.
Given the increasing number of accidents in Sri Lanka too, perhaps it is time the government thought of certain measures to reverse the trend of ‘death by selfie’.
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Two brothers killed while taking selfies
Anuradhapura - Central Special Correspondent
Death is unpredictable and none can predict when it would take you by surprise. Thus it was for two brothers living in Anuradhapura; the elder had just completed three years of university education in Singapore and was home to spend his holiday with his parents and younger brother. The two would face death in the most unlikely manner; falling victim to the most dangerous form of photograph - 'the selfie'.
On Sunday (11), the two brothers decided to take a selfie on the Colpetty to Bambalapitiya railway track as the evening Galle to Fort train passed by. Unfortunately, the train came faster than their picture.
The victims have been identified to be 24-year-old Sashi Madushan Ranaweera and 12-year-old Theekshana Shakshan Ranaweera, residents of Anula Devi Mawatha, Wijayapura, Anuradhapura. Their father; Prasanna Priyankara Ranaweera (49) is a retired corporal of the Sri Lanka Army and their mother R.A. Bandara Menike (47) is a retired soldier of the Army Women’s corps. They have three children and it was their eldest and youngest who succumbed to such a fate. Sashi Madushan who is an old boy of St Joseph’s College, Anuradhapura had left to Singapore for a course on hotel management. He had returned to Sri Lanka on Sunday evening at around 4.30 pm. His parents who were overjoyed to welcome their son three years later with his certificates, had gone to the airport along with his two brothers, grandmother and other relatives to bring him back home.
The family then had come to Galle Face Green in Colombo to enjoy the evening and thereafter left to a relative's house in Colpetty. Their grandmother, W. Prema Gunawardena (68) who is in shock, speaking to Daily News amidst tears said that as they were travelling along the railway track on Marine Drive, when 12-year-old Theekshana had pestered his father to stop the vehicle so that he could capture a selfie there.
“We stopped the van because our younger son was insisting on it. We did not like to do so. Then the two brothers went to the railway track close to the sea and took pictures. I too was there, it was around 5.45 pm. I saw a train approaching with its lights but because of the sound of the sea, they did not hear the train approaching until the last minute,” she said.
“I shouted at the younger one saying that the train was approaching. As we shouted, he got scared and he jumped across the railway track and then again jumped back into the direction of his brother. Sashi shouted at his brother not to come and as he tried to save the younger one, both got caught to the train. Both kids just fell on the spot. We could not even register what had just happened,” added the grandmother.
“For a time, no one came forward to take them to hospital. The elder son’s leg was cut off, we picked the leg up and put it into a three wheeler. How can a grandmother take all this in? When I looked at the younger one, his head was separated from the body. Their mother and father were simply screaming, ‘our children!’, I initially thought they were in shock unable to do anything,” said Gunawardena. The grandmother continued to cry, “Why did our son leave us so soon? He did not even show us the certificates he brought home,” and fainted. The younger boy’s head which had been stuck on the wheels of the carriage was found on Monday (12) morning at the Gampaha railway station. The railway officials of the stations had handed it over to the Colpetty Police for further investigations.
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What do people think of selfies?
Pasindu Heshan - Attorney-at-law
Many foreign countries have banned taking selfies in certain public places. Recently, a study revealed that more people have died from selfies compared to other factors. When I visited India recently, I saw a board near a rock which stated “Be careful when taking selfies”. Apparently, many youth have died by falling from that rock while taking selfies. The boards will not save their lives.
If people are so careful about following the rules there would be zero accidents in Sri Lanka. I would say ‘no selfie zones’ are not going to save their lives, they are stupid enough to try doing it anyway.
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Lakshani Wijeyakoon - university student
Even I have the habit of taking selfies wherever I go. My mother often scolds me that I am addicted to it. I am very careful about the surrounding though; I wouldn’t risk my life to take a photo. But, I know there are a lot of people who consider taking selfies at dangerous places as an adventure.
I like taking selfies. There is a good and a bad side to everything. People should be cautious when they want to take selfies in dangerous places. Anyway, ignoring the rules and taking risks are not new to people right? Don’t drive while speaking on the phone is a traffic rule. But, how many are following it? This is also something similar to that. It’s not about selfies it’s about how ignorant and foolish some people are.
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I use social media to sell my products and I hardly upload my photos on Facebook. The government should impose a fine on people taking selfies in dangerous and public places.
I saw selfies taken during the floods also. It has become a trend now. Sometimes it is very annoying to see people taking selfies. I think it is a disease. Some do not need friends around them but they want ‘likes’ for their photos.
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I have always seen people taking selfies in public places. Now it is not only the youth who take selfies but also older people. Everyone wants to upload it on their Facebook or Instagram. I use social media but that does not mean that you need to upload pictures at the risk of your own life. Today, social media is all about showing off. The selfie sticks took the problem to another level. Now, people are so obsessed with it.
The government should ban taking selfies in dangerous and sacred places in the country. Some people go to temple and take selfies near the Buddha statues. Who does that?
Meanwhile, some have this crazy habit of taking selfies in dangerous places. Recently, I saw a photo on Facebook taken by my friend’s son; he had gone hiking and taken a selfie at the edge of a cliff. What if he had slipped? It would be just news for the country, but it’s a loss for his parents.
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