More than 250 people across the world have died in the pursuit of the perfect selfie since 2011 — but one country in particular stands out as the world capital for selfie deaths.

Key points: Selfie culture plays a significant role in India, including in politics

Selfie culture plays a significant role in India, including in politics Authorities have created "no-selfie zones" to prevent accidents

Authorities have created "no-selfie zones" to prevent accidents An app has been created to identify dangerous spots to take selfies

Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences last year found that about half of the 259 reported selfie deaths and accidents between 2011 and 2017 occurred in India.

Their study titled: Selfies: A Boon or Bane? published late last year was based on English-language news reports of selfie death and accidents around the world.

Behind India, other countries with the most selfie-related deaths included Russia, the United States and Pakistan.



The majority of the so-called "killfies" the researchers identified were caused by drowning, being hit by a train or car, or falling from a great height.

But they said the total number of deaths could actually be much higher, as many cases go unreported and "death by selfie" isn't recognised as an official cause of death.

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Near-misses were also not included in the study, such as the case of one Indian man who survived being struck by a train while taking a selfie in January last year.

Nor did it include the 48 people who reportedly suffered burns while taking selfies in front of a bakery ablaze in 2017, ignoring police demands that they stop snapping images.

What's behind India's 'killfie' problem?

The authors of last year's study said the high proportion of people below the age of 30 in India was one potential factor, as they were the group often killed while taking a selfie.

The researchers also said India possibly had a higher ratio of deaths to incidents than other countries because group selfies were more prevalent in India.

University of Sydney anthropologist Jolynna Sinanan, who researches the use of social media, said visual culture was much stronger in India than in many other countries, including Australia.

"It's not just advertising, or entertainment and media culture, but it's also through public messages, images such as gods and religious figures, framed photos and personal photos throughout the home," Dr Sinanan said.

"So the way that selfie culture is more pervasive in India is linked to these different kinds of public and private visual cultures.

"Photos, whether they're selfies or posed, are also about identity building in both a symbolic and material way that's related to that offline visual culture."

However some people are taking the trend too far.

Rather than helping three people injured in a road accident, this man took a selfie. ( Supplied )

In a case that garnered worldwide headlines, a group of bystanders took selfies in front of three men were who were dying on a road after being involved in a crash.

No one called an ambulance or helped the victims, who were covered in blood and writhing in pain.

Politics, class and selfies

In a country still operating under a strict class hierarchy, taking and posting selfies to social media is considered a way for people to promote themselves, boost their confidence and express themselves.

Selfies also play a role in politics. The country's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, regularly poses for selfies with world leaders and Bollywood celebrities — as well as ordinary citizens.

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But now, politicians are turning their attentions towards stemming India's reputation as a selfie-death hotspot.

Authorities identified and declared 16 dangerous spots in Mumbai as "no-selfie zones", which included popular tourist spots Marine Drive and Girgaum Chowpatty Beach.

It is not just tourist attractions and Instagram-worthy scenes that are dangerous, it's also mundane and everyday spots such as railways and shopping centres that are the scenes of tragic accidents.

South Central Railways has been tweeting #selfiesafety tips, and the recent Hindu Kumbh Mela festival was declared a selfie-free event.

There was even an app developed aimed to alert users to dangerous selfie locations.

Saftie, which is available on the Google Play store, sends a warning to users if they are near a popular photo spot that has been rated as dangerous by other users.

