Tourist Dies While Leaning Out of Train to Take Selfie
A 53-year-old tourist died after leaning out of a train to take a selfie and hitting a rock.
Russian tourist Olga Perminova died on Wednesday as she tried to take a photo of herself while hanging out of the train on the famous Podi Menike railway line in Sri Lanka.
Perminova, who was a grandmother and frequent social media user, was traveling in Sri Lanka as part of a Russian tour group.
She was attempting to take a selfie between the Badulla and Hali Ela railway stations when she fell out of the train and died.
In photos, reportedly taken moments before her death, Perminova is seen in a pink dress dangling out of a carriage window on the moving train.
While seemingly posing for the selfie, Perminova hit a rock, smashed her head, and fell off the train. She sustained severe head injuries and was taken to Badulla Teaching Hospital. Olga was given emergency treatment but died in hospital from her head injuries.
In a statement to Sri Lankan media, local police say that Perminova died “after falling off the train when attempting to take a selfie while hanging from the train footboard between the Badulla and Hali Ela railway stations.”
“The woman knocked against a rock, fell off the train, and sustained severe injuries,” the local police adds.
Perminova reportedly worked for a security company in the Moscow region. Russian diplomats are now handling the arrangements for repatriating her body.
The Podi Menike is a Sri Lankan passenger train that travels from Colombo Fort to Badulla, covering nearly 190 miles in approximately 10 hours.
Renowned as one of the world’s most breathtaking rail journeys, it offers stunning views of the country’s lush tea plantations, dense forests, towering mountains, and picturesque landscapes.
In December, PetaPixel reported on a Chinese tourist who was dragged out of a window while filming a selfie on a moving train between Wellawatte and Bambalapitiya on the coast of Sri Lanka.
Image credits: All photos via social media/VK.com
