Think twice before taking next selfie; it could actually take your life if you are not careful enough. 

A recent study published in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care showed 259 people died worldwide while clicking a perfect selfie. Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, a group of public medical colleges in New Delhi, scoured news reports on selfie deaths in a six-year period between 2011 and 2017.

The researchers found that half of the selfie deaths occurred in India, followed by Russia, the United States and Pakistan. About 72.5 percent of the total deaths occurred in males and 27.5 percent in females. Although females are generally predicted to take more selfies, the research found that men were three times more responsible for risky behavior as compared to the women. 

The leading cause of selfie death was drowning, including being washed away by waves on a beach, boats capsizing while rowing or snapping selfies on shore without knowing how to swim.

Transport was marked as the second leading cause where majority incidents occurred in front of running trains. Falling off something and fire were considered as other major causes of selfie deaths, accounting for 48 cases, according to the study. 

The study also found out selfie deaths are on the rise, with three selfie-related deaths reported in 2011 and grew to 98 and 93 in 2016 and 2017, which boosted by the increasing usage of mobile phones and the availability of selfie sticks.

Overall, the total number of casualties and incident is high for 10-19 and 20-29 age groups, the study showed. 

"The youth and tourists are frequently affected because of the desire of 'being cool', posting photos on social (media) and getting rewards in forms of likes and comments," the study said.

"Selfies are themselves not harmful, but the human behavior that accompanies selfies is dangerous. Individuals need to be educated regarding certain risky behaviors and risky places where selfies should not be taken."