Thursday 26 / December / 2024
Muscat: Zones barring people from taking ‘selfie’ photos should be created in Oman to prevent future tragedies, the grieving father of a drowned Sri Lankan schoolgirl has told Times of Oman.
Read here: Two school girls drown while taking ‘selfie’ in Oman
Herath Samaraweera flew with the body of his beloved daughter Ruwane Delsara Samaraweera back home to Sri Lanka on Wednesday night, after she and her friend Zainab Tuan Rashed drowned while trying to take a ‘selfie’ picture at a dangerously deep spring in Oman.
The girls slipped and fell in. Tragically, none of the adults present could swim so nobody was able to attempt a rescue.
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Herath said: “If there were some sort of warning boards there, I would not have allowed my child to go there to take selfies. I feel that the government should install no-selfie boards at risky spots,” Herath told Times of Oman, while getting ready to fly to Colombo with Ruwane’s body.
She and her friend drowned in a spring in Salalah last Saturday evening while apparently trying to click selfies.
Ruwane’s relatives and friends also said that they feel that no-selfie zone boards are a good idea and such boards can prevent people from taking risks. Zainab’s family also confirmed that they are flying with her body to Colombo to perform her final rites.
Tour operators and guides have revealed they have been in talks with the Omani government to create zones, already in place in other countries where people have died in pursuit of a picture.
India and Russia have both created zones with boards spelling out the dangers of selfies around dangerous tourist areas.
The two schoolgirls were on holiday in Salalah when tragedy struck. Their parents were just metres away and heard their daughters’ screams.
One girl, slipped and grabbed her friend to steady herself, but both fell into the deep water.
The 13-year-old girls were taking selfies in Ain Garziz spring.
Global publicity campaigns have highlighted the risks of taking ‘selfie’ photos at certain sites where people have died.
Khalid Al Anqoudi, a trekker in Oman for the last 10 years, said that it would be good if the government installs no-selfie sign boards at dangerous locations.
“Installing such boards is a good idea even though some may ignore the warnings. Up to an extent, we can avoid danger,”
Khalid said adding that such boards are already displayed in other countries.
Sajad Beigh, head of Inbound Tours at Universal Travel and Tourism, said that the proposal to install such boards was discussed with the government in the past.
Avoid danger
“Such boards are needed. It can avoid danger. Of course, some may ignore it. However, a warning board can help many,” Sajad added.
Jayasankar Krishnamrutham, a resident in Oman who often visits different tourist spots every week, said that such boards would help.
“I have seen many spots in Oman which are quite risky to take selfies. I have never tried to take selfies at dangerous spots. I can’t understand why people take the risk for taking a picture. Is a picture worth a life? No, not at all,” Jayasankar said.
A study by Priceonomics reveals that since 2014, 49 people have died while attempting to photograph themselves; the average age of the victims is 21 years old, and 75 per cent of them are male. The report adds that one-third of all people who met their deaths in the midst of a selfie fell from heights — most commonly, a cliff or a building.
The data from the report reveals that to an alarming degree, selfie deaths seem to plague India. Nineteen individuals - 40 per cent of all selfie-related fatalities - met their deaths in India.
In the wake of these tragedies, government officials in India have declared 16 “no selfie zones” throughout the country, where large signs and lifeguards warn selfie-takers to steer clear.
India isn’t the first country to do this: Russia, which ranks second, with seven selfie fatalities, released a full-scale marketing campaign last summer complete with icons of bad selfie ideas aimed at reducing deaths in the country.
