Agra: Youth falls off Taj Mahal while taking selfie, critical

The selfie fever which has spread throughout the world claims many lives each year. In Agra alone, there have been several deaths in the past due to selfies, including at the Taj Mahal, where the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is on a constant vigil to prevent tourists from accidentally falling off the monument while taking selfies. A government study has indicated that around 10 thousand selfies are taken at the Taj Mahal every day.

However, on Friday, even this vigil failed to prevent a local Muslim youth from being injured while taking a selfie. Still unidentified, the youth had arrived at the Taj Mahal mosque to offer the Friday Namaz.

Trying to take a selfie on the 'Chameli platform' behind the Taj Mahal, he fell off the platform, landing in the garden at the back of the Taj Mahal 85 feet below, on his head. Having fallen from such a height on to solid ground, he was grievously injured. The CISF guards posted behind the Taj Mahal immediately picked him up and handed him over to the locals who arranged for his transportation to the SN Medical College, where he has been admitted.

An ASI official told India Today that the ASI has posted notices at several places around the railings on the main dome as well as the Chameli platform, warning the tourists to stay away from the railings.

Barricading has also been placed at various dangerous spots at the monument. However, on Friday, the Taj Mahal is closed for the tourists and only Muslims coming to the mosque inside the monument to offer the weekly namaz are allowed inside. Since all these Muslims are local residents of Tajganj and are aware of the dangers of going too close to the railings, the CISF is not that vigilant in stopping them from roaming around the Chameli platform. This relaxed vigil probably caused this incident.

This is not the first time when someone has fallen at the Taj Mahal while taking a selfie.

In 2015, a Japanese tourist had fallen to his death at the main dome of the monument, when he slipped over the low railing surrounding the Taj and fell on the Chameli platform over 50 ft below.

With no ambulance available at the Taj due to Supreme Court restrictions on fossil fuel vehicles 500 meters around the monument, the tourists did not survive the fall. This accidental death prompted many changes at the Taj, including the installation of steel railings around the main dome, preventing the tourists from venturing too close to the low marble railings. An ambulance was also placed in close proximity of the monument so that it could be called immediately in case of emergency. However, this ambulance was nowhere to be seen today, when the Muslim youth fell off the monument into the Yamuna.

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