Sambalpur/Bhubaneswar, Jan. 13: A 20-year-old student today died after coming in contact with a high-tension overhead wire while he was allegedly taking selfie after climbing over a stationary goods train at Baljori in Jharsuguda town.
One of his friends has also suffered injuries in the incident. The deceased, who was a second-year diploma civil engineering student of Jharsuguda Engineering School, has been identified as Rajpal Gourav Patra of Koraput. His friend, Lokesh Das, who is also a second-year civil engineering student, got injured when he fell down, while trying to climb atop the train.
The police said Baljori was located near the Jharsuguda Engineering School. The deceased had gone to the place with his friend this morning. The goods train, which was transporting oil, had stopped at a signal in Baljori.
Rajpal climbed onto the train to take a selfie. In the process, he came in contact with the high-tension live wire and died on the spot.
A little later, local people informed the Government Railway Police about the incident.
A number of cases of death while taking selfies have been reported in the recent times from across the state.
A 25-year-old software engineer had fallen off a mango tree on the bank of Mahendra Tanaya river at Parla in Gajapati while taking a selfie last year.
In March last year, a youth succumbed to injuries during Mahashivratri, as he had fallen from a 30-feet high hillock while taking a selfie on the Ghumareswar temple premises in Nabarangpur district.
To stop such selfie-inflicted accidents, the government has pinpointed danger zones across the state, especially at tourist sites.
The tourism department has recently identified 20 such spots, which include waterfalls, hilltops and water bodies.
Waterfalls such as Duduma in Koraput district, Sanaghagara, Gonasika, the Satakoshia gorge and Badaghagra in Keonjhar district, Khandadhar in Sundargarh, the Barehipani waterfall at Similipal in Mayurbhanj and water bodies such as the Chilika lake, Chandrabhaga beach in Puri and a river in Kendrapara's Bhitarkanika National Park are on the list. Also, the Khandagiri and Udaygiri hills, as well as the Dhauli Peace Pagoda in Khurda and the Sun Temple at Konark, are in the list.
"The process has begun, and work is under way at the most popular tourist sites. Focus is also on putting up signages in rural areas, where there is lack of awareness. Youngsters these days are obsessed with taking selfies. The district collectors and tourist officers have been asked to start identifying dangerous selfie locations and fence the areas," said a department official.
Shortly, selfie spots in other public places will also be marked in a phased manner. The government would also host awareness regarding the dangers of taking irresponsible photographs, said the official.
