India advises people taking selfies to put safety first

Look around in any major Indian city and you will find someone with an arm outstretched, mobile phone in hand, smiling widely and clicking away. Even prime minister Narendra Modi has embraced the medium, posting pictures online he has snapped with various world leaders.

However, the pursuit of the most epic selfie can have lethal consequences.

India is home to the highest number of people who have died while taking photos of themselves, with 19 of the world’s 49 recorded selfie-linked deaths since 2014, according to San Francisco-based data service provider Priceonomics.