Mumbai ban selfies because they are too dangerous in tourist hotspots

Sixteen areas that are dangerous for taking 'selfies' have been highlighted

Marine Drive promenade is one of the areas that has been identified as dangerous for taking 'selfies' (INDRANIL MUKHERJEE/AFP/Getty Images)

People could be warned against taking ‘selfies’ in multiple tourist locations around Mumbai in an effort to prevent accidents and deaths.

Sixteen areas, including the Marine Drive promenade and Girgaum Chowpatty beach, have been identified by the city's police force as dangerous spots for people to take photos of themselves.

Dhananjay Kulkarni, a spokesperson for Mumbai Police, told the BBC: “The police will now approach the city’s municipality to prevent accidents at such spots due to people taking selfies."

Mr Kulkarni said "the municipality may... install warnings". And, as some of the locations are near water, life guards may be deployed.

He told AFP that more areas may be added to the list.

It comes after three girls fell into the sea near the Bandra Worli Sea Link while trying to take a selfie on Saturday - this site is among the 16 identified as dangerous.

Passerby Ramesh Walunju drowned while saving two of the girls. His body was recovered on Monday.

The body of the third girl has not yet been found, the Times of India reported.

There have been other incidents of people dying while trying to take a selfie. A man was hit by a train as he tried to take a photo of himself standing on the track in Rawalpindi and a tourist from Japan, who was taking a selfie, died after slipping down some stairs at the Taj Mahal last year, the BBC reported.

Deepak Gandhi has launched a website, called SelfieToDieFor, to warn people about the risks of taking photos of themselves in dangerous locations.

He told the Times of India: “I started the website as a movement to create awareness about taking selfies responsibly.”

He added: “I have seen people taking selfies while riding motorbikes. People don’t [realise] that their cool selfie can lead to an accident and even prove fatal.”