Teen falls to death while clicking picture of sunset

Sunday’s incident appears to be the latest in a series of selfie-related deaths in the city, and elsewhere, where the pursuit of the perfect shot has turned unexpectedly tragic

MUMBAI: A 16-year-old fell to her death from the terrace of her building while taking pictures of the vibrant pre-monsoon skies, in Dahisar East on Sunday. The teenager has been identified as Jahnvi Savla, a Class 10 student.

Police siad she appeared to have sat on the wall and may have lost her balance while clicking pictures (representative image) (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The incident took place at 7pm on Sunday, when Jahnvi’s father and other members of Parichay building in their housing society, in Miskita Nagar, had assembled in the compound for a chat. According to police, Jahnvi’s father, a cloth trader, was seated on a bench when his daughter asked permission to go up to the terrace to click photos of the sunset with her mobile phone. Minutes later, Jahnvi fell from the terrace and landed only feet away from where her father was seated.

According to Ashok Honmane, senior police inspector with the Dahisar police station, Savla rushed his daughter to hospital, where she was declared dead. “Savla (Jahnvi) was alone on the terrace when she fell. She appeared to have sat on the wall and may have lost her balance while clicking pictures,” said Honmane. The Dahisar police have registered a case of accidental death.

Mumbai’s pre-monsoon sunsets, streaked with gold, magenta and orange, have captured the city’s imagination, prompting citizens to flood social media with images of these radiant sunsets. Sunday’s incident appears to be the latest in a series of selfie-related deaths in the city, and elsewhere, where the pursuit of the perfect shot has turned unexpectedly tragic.