Bhopal Sports Authority says national-level athlete's death while taking selfie 'a great loss'

Stating that the accidental death of a 20-year-old national-level athlete while taking selfie is a great loss to the nation, Bhopal Sports Authority of India director Meena Bora today said adequate preparations have been made and the athletes have been asked not to go near the lake.

Calling it unfortunate, Bora said the police is investigating the matter, adding her next move would be decided on the outcome of the incident.

"There is no doubt that it is a great loss for the nation. The police is enquiring, we have handed over to the police to investigate. Police will investigate and accordingly I will act, we have asked the athletes to not to go near the lake. My staff tried to save the girl, it's unfortunate," Bora told the media here.

"We always warned them not to go near the lake. She wanted to get clicked after seeing the fishes in the lake, there seems no medical negligence. We have informed her family. Her brother in on his way," she added.

In a tragic incident, a 20-year-old national-level athlete died yesterday after accidentally slipping into a pond while taking a selfie near a harvesting plant at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Bhopal.

"Puja was taking a selfie near a pond in the campus along with her two friends. The pond has a steep slope and does not have any stairs. While taking the selfie, she lost her balance and fell in the pond. She was rescued by her friends and rushed to a hospital, where she was declared brought dead," Assistant Sub-Inspector Sunil Dubey told ANI.

The police said that Puja was from Uttaranchal, adding she had been staying in Bhopal from the last three years.

Last month, seven youth were swept away in a tragic incident, when they were taking selfies along the banks of the Ganga River in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur.

Reportedly, one of the first selfie deaths dates back to May 2014, when a 15-year-old boy was killed by a speeding train as he was posing for a selfie on the tracks.