Bhubaneswar: The East Coast Railway launched a campaign to make the youth aware of the dangers of clicking selfies and filming reels near tracks, officials said Wednesday.
The initiative was taken in view of the rise in accidents in which young people lost their lives while attempting to shoot short videos and take selfies near railway tracks, they said.
Newspaper ads, TV spots, public announcements and social media campaigns are being undertaken as part of the initiative, they added.
These efforts are being made to make people realise that taking a selfie on or making videos near railway tracks is never worth the risk, an official said.
“Taking selfies or making reels at railway stations or on tracks may seem like a fun activity, but it’s a deadly risk. In recent years, many accidents have been reported where students or youth were mowed down by moving trains because of this,” he said.
“Many of these accidents happened because people weren’t paying attention to the dangers around them, like moving trains, overhead electrical power equipment and crowded station areas,” he said.
To combat this, the Indian Railways has implemented strict regulations, the official said, noting that under Sections 147 and 153 of the Railway Act, anyone caught taking selfies near moving trains or on railway tracks could face heavy fines, legal consequences, or even jail.
PTI