(UTV|COLOMBO) – A glamorous travel blogging couple have been slammed for dangling precariously out of a moving train in Sri Lanka for an Instagram photo, the New York Post reported.
Influencers Raquel and Miguel, from Portugal, posed the daring shot to their 200,000 followers on the social media site – and fans are calling the act “irresponsible”.
The bloggers from the @explorerssaurus_ account took the controversial shot while on a train that was travelling through the small town of Ella.
Boyfriend Miguel can be seen kissing the forehead of Raquel as she leans her entire body out of the train and holds on by clutching the carriage’s rails.
In another shot, Raquel is captured securing herself with just one hand, with the other one holding onto Miguel as he takes the shot.
The couple have claimed the train was “moving super slow” and said they “respect everyone’s opinions, but it’s not risky”.
Despite their claims that the train was going slow, the photo was taken when they were travelling on a bridge, and one slip could have resulted in Raquel falling down a huge ravine.
Numerous fans have commented on the photo, which has racked up nearly 40,000 likes.
One said: “You’d risk your life just for a picture? Just so you can upload it on social media? Or do you do this because this give you ‘the rush’? How is this sensible?”
Another added: “Two idiots risking their lives and others’ lives just to get likes.”
Meanwhile one slammed: “This will inspire more emulators to do this. Dangerous. Irresponsible and all in the name of vanity.”
Some people have criticised Miguel for putting his girlfriend in danger and not being the one fully outside the train.
However Raquel said on Instagram: “The guy [he] didn’t put me in danger, I’m pretty independent and I do what I feel comfortable with.”
The bloggers later added: “The train was almost not moving.”
A shock report was revealed last year that found 250 people have been tragically killed while taking daring selfies since 2011.
Between 2011 and 2017, 259 people have been accidentally killed in all kinds of different ways while taking selfies all over the world.
The most common ways that people die while taking selfies is by drowning, being hit by traffic or falling.
And it happens overwhelmingly to men, with nearly three quarters of the victims being male (153).
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