'A selfie with a weapon kills': Russia launches campaign urging photo safety

Russian police have launched a campaign urging people to take safer selfies after accidents caused by high-risk poses have resulted in about 100 injuries and dozens of deaths this year.

“A cool selfie could cost you your life,” the interior ministry warned in a new leaflet packed with tips such as “a selfie with a weapon kills”.

That warning comes after a string of recent selfie-related accidents. In May, a 21-year-old woman accidentally shot herself in the head in Moscow while taking a selfie holding a pistol. She suffered injuries but survived.

In January, two young men died in the Urals while taking a selfie holding a hand grenade with the pin pulled out. The mobile phone with the selfie survived as a record.

In May, a teenager in the Ryazan region died while attempting to photograph himself as he climbed on a railway bridge and accidentally came into contact with live electrical wires.

“Unfortunately we have noted recently that the number of accidents caused by lovers of self-photography is constantly increasing,” said Yelena Alexeyeva, an aide to the interior minister. “Since the beginning of the year we are talking about some hundred cases of injuries for sure.”

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She added that the phenomenon had also led to “dozens of deadly accidents”. “The problem really exists and leads to very unfortunate consequences.”

The campaign includes leaflets, a video and advice on the ministry’s website, and uses warning signs in the style of road signs to get its message across.

In one image, a figure holding a selfie stick wanders on a rail track. “A selfie on the railway tracks is a bad idea if you value your life,” the leaflet says. In another of the warning signs, a figure climbs on an electricity pylon while taking a selfie.

The public safety video produced by the ministry includes spectacular images shot by “roofers” – a subculture based around illicitly sneaking into high-rise buildings and taking photos from the top, their pictures often going viral on social media.

“Before taking a selfie, everyone should think about the fact that racing after a high number of ’likes’ could lead someone on a journey to death and his last extreme photo could turn out to be posthumous,” Alexeyeva warned.