We’ve covered tragic stories of selfies gone awry but this one is somewhat on another level given how many people were impacted by this event.
Long story short, a selfie attempt on a boat in Indonesia ended in tragedy with 9 people suspected dead after the craft capsized due to too many people crowding in the front of the boat for a picture opportunity.
The boat in Kedung Ombo Boyolali Reservoir in Central Java had 19 people on board in total with many of them being children. No one on board was wearing a lifejacket at the time of the capsizing and the craft itself was listed for a maximum capacity of 14 people.
Central Java Police Chief Inspector General Ahmad Luthfi further told CNN Indonesia that the boat didn’t have any safety equipment whatsoever and, additionally, was helmed by a 13-year-old boy, Too Fab reports. The victims range in age from 4 to 38.
“It was about to reach its destination but suddenly many shifted forward to the front of the boat to take selfies. The boat was unbalanced, and overturned, all passengers were thrown into the reservoir,” Luthfi explained.
Apparently, the sudden shift in passenger weight to the front of the boat was so great that it immediately took on water and was unrecoverable from that point according to one victim’s account.
Do you see technology eventually making the selfie obsolete or is this some kind of phenomenon that will persist for years to come? Let us know your thoughts on this story from Indonesia in the comments below.
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