'What’s the Big Deal About 인증샷?' Woman Taking Selfie Despite Train Horn Faces Shocking Accident

Injured by a running forest train
The engineer honked multiple times but was not heard
About 400 accidents related to certification photos occurred over 13 years

As numerous incidents and accidents occur worldwide due to SNS or personal collection 'proof shots,' this time in Taiwan, a tourist standing close to the tracks to take a selfie with a train failed to notice the approaching train and was eventually hit and injured. On the 16th (local time), foreign media including the UK's Daily Mail reported that on the 14th, a 55-year-old female tourist, Ms. A, collided with a forest train in Alishan, located in central Taiwan. According to the video released by the media, the train engineer honked the horn several times to warn Ms. A, but she did not hear it and continued to focus on taking selfies. Eventually, the front left corner of the train collided with Ms. A's shoulder, and from the impact, she fell and rolled onto the ground.

Amid numerous incidents worldwide caused by SNS or personal collection 'proof shots,' this time in Taiwan, a tourist standing close to the tracks to take a selfie with a train failed to see the oncoming train and was eventually hit and injured. Daily Mail

The train engineer immediately stopped the train after the accident and ran to check on the tourist's condition. Ms. A's friend also ran to help her, but Ms. A complained of severe pain while holding her head and knees. According to local media reports, fortunately, Ms. A only sustained injuries to her left foot and had no other significant issues. However, the accident caused the train operation to be suspended for about an hour, restricting the movement of 62 passengers. Moreover, it was reported that five flights of the passengers were delayed as well.

Mr. A stood close to the tracks to take a photo of his face with the train in the background but failed to notice the oncoming train from behind and was reported to have been involved in an accident. Daily Mail

Following the accident, local police promptly launched an investigation. The investigation revealed that the travel agency guiding Ms. A violated regulations by trespassing into the train operation area. The police authorities have requested the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, a government administrative body, to issue a one-year ban on the travel agency's access to the nearby area. Additionally, Ms. A is expected to be fined between $307 and $1,538 (approximately 440,000 to 2,200,000 KRW).

Meanwhile, at the end of last year, a research team from the University of New South Wales in Australia published findings suggesting that selfie-related accidents should be considered a public health issue. The research team analyzed selfie-related injuries and deaths worldwide from 2008 to 2021 and reported about 400 incidents over 13 years. According to the research, the victims were mainly female tourists in their early 20s, and the primary cause of death was drowning while taking photos. Eighty percent of the deceased were tourists, with Indians numbering around 100, the highest, followed by 39 Americans. Dr. Samuel Cornell, who led the study, emphasized that although measures such as establishing 'no selfie zones,' installing barriers, and putting up signs have been proposed, these alone may not be sufficient, stating, "It may be necessary to deliver direct safety messages to SNS users."