A shocking video has emerged of a young man in India being hit by a fast-moving train as he was attempting to take a selfie next to railway tracks.
Miraculously, the 25-year-old, identified only as Shiva, survived the incident with serious injuries.
In a stunt that has been derided as “the height of stupidity” by Indian netizens, the would-be selfie-taker had been standing close to the railway tracks of Hyderabad’s Borabanda Railway Station, waiting for an oncoming train.
The 21-second footage from Shiva’s own mobile phone – which has since gone viral on social media – shows an incoming Multi-Modal Transport System train bearing down on him and honking furiously. But Shiva seems oblivious to the horn blast – as well as the warnings of his friends and a station guard of the fast-approaching train – adjusting his smile and telling them “Wait…just one more minute.”
Seconds before contact with the juggernaut, Shiva sticks out his hand to point at the train – before it slams squarely into him and sends the camera flying.
According to The Hindu, Shiva survived the incident only because the locopilot had applied the train’s emergency brakes to slow it down.
It also said that he was fined 500 rupees (US$10) for his stunt.
According to a report from NDTV, youths’ quest for the “perfect selfie” is becoming a major concern in India, with 60 percent of the world’s selfie deaths between 2014 and 2016 occurring in the nation. – NST