Two Britons fall to their deaths while taking a selfie on Spanish beach

Two British men, aged 21 and 22, have died after falling 12 meters from the seaside promenade in Orihuela, a popular tourist town in the Spanish province of Alicante.

The men were walking along the promenade overlooking Punta Prima beach with a third friend, who is 20, when they decided to take a photo of themselves. Two of them lost their balance and dropped to their death, according to the Spanish Civil Guard.

One of the victims died on Thursday at Alicante General Hospital after being admitted in critical condition. The other victim died instantly. The third man was treated for anxiety.

The accident took place around 7:30pm on Wednesday. The victims fell over the railing from the elevated promenade and landed on top of a lifesaver’s station. Sources from the local government maintained that the railing and promenade are in “perfect condition,” and said that the Civil Guard is investigating the incident, which appears to have been caused by imprudence.

The website Selfigraphic, which analyses the so-called “selfie” phenomenon, found that around one million people shared photos of themselves every day in 2016. According to data journalism website Priceonomics, 49 people have died from selfie-related deaths around the world since 2014. The average age of the victim was 22 and 75% were men, according to the website. Of all selfies shared online, 30% are taken by people between 18 and 24 years of age.

English version by Melissa Kitson.