Dubai police urge caution after teenager plunges to death while taking selfie

A teenager fell to her death while taking a selfie from an apartment block on Dubai's Sheikh Zayed Road, police said on Saturday.

The 16-year-old Afghani girl fell from the balcony of her parents' 17th floor apartment while standing on a chair, according to police.

"She was standing on a chair in the balcony and trying to take a selfie when she lost control and fell to death," Colonel Faisal Al-Qasim, director of Security Media in Dubai Police, said on Saturday.

"Her sister said that she lost balance as she was sitting on the edge of the balcony. While she fell out of the balcony, the mobile phone with which she was taking the selfie fell inside. The girl was killed instantly," he added.

Police said the girl's sister watched helplessly as her sibling fell from the balcony.

The tower block where the girl fell is reportedly known as a popular vantage point, with visitors and tourists using the site to take photographs.

"Many photographers and bloggers come to the building to take pictures and videos of Burj Khalifa as it provides a beautiful view. Last New Year, a blogger came and asked to record the Burj Khalifa fireworks from our building," a resident of the tower told local media outlet Gulf News.

Dubai police urged parents to monitor their childrens' activity and warned people to take care while using mobile phones in dangerous environments.

According to a global study conducted at the US National Library of Medicine in 2018, at least 259 died while trying to take selfies between 2011 and 2017.

The researchers recommended that 'no selfie zones' should be introduced to reduce the risk of death, including on the top of tall buildings and mountains.

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