Padang – Indonesian police announced on Thursday (May 27) that five members of an Indonesian family drowned after a dock where they were attempting to take a selfie collapsed.
The family of 14 were touring West Sumatra and had gathered on the wooden structure to take a group photo capturing the picturesque Kandi Lake on Wednesday (May 26).
However, their combined weight caused the dock to collapse, said the police.
“They were taking a selfie on the dock when the incident happened,” said local police chief Junaidi Nur.
The police chief noted the accident happened after closing hours, so there was no security personnel on-site.
Rescue efforts eventually retrieved the bodies, said Mr Nur.
Investigations are ongoing.
The incident occurred a few weeks after a similar fatal accident involving an overloaded boat that capsized while tourists on board were attempting to take a selfie.
When all 20 passengers of the overloaded boat suddenly moved to one side while trying to take a group photo in a reservoir on Java island, the boat tilted and capsized.
“The cause of the accident was overcapacity,” said Central Java police chief Ahmad Lutfi. “The 20 people took a selfie on the right side, then the boat lost balance and flipped.”
The authorities announced that nine people died in the accident that happened on May 16.
Due to lax safety standards, boat accidents are common in Indonesia, reported TODAY. Last month, two boats collided in West Java and rescuers were dispatched to find 17 fishermen. Three bodies were retrieved, while 13 are still missing./TISG
Read related: Case of suspected drowning at Clarke Quay, 2 bodies found
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