Russian schoolgirl, 12, plunges to death from 17th floor balcony after taking 'extreme selfie'

'Extreme selfie': A 12-year-old girl, known as Oksana B, died after taking a selfie while balancing on the barrier of a 17th floor balcony
Fiona Simpson18 November 2016

A Russian schoolgirl has died after climbing over the railing of a 17th floor balcony to take a selfie.

The 12-year-old, known as Oksana B, is believed to have taken the photo while sitting on the railing – before sending it to her best friend.

Oksana’s friend reportedly called police to alert them to the danger and forwarded the photo to the girl’s mum.

Officers believe Oksana lost her balance and plunged to her death.

Her body was found by a passer-by, the BBC reported.

Oksana’s uncle later wrote on social media: “She was such a friendly girl. She was a good pupil, she had no problems at school.

"She had so much to live for and now she has lost her life to the craze of looking to do extreme selfies for social media.

"There can be no other reason why she climbed over the damned handrail."

The fatality is one of a string of deaths linked to so-called extreme selfies in Russia in recent years.

The deaths prompted the government to launch a safety campaign advising keen photographers when not to take them.

Andry Retrovesky, 17, died last year after falling from the roof of a nine-storey building.

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