A tourist Soipov Abdullokh has died after he fell to his death while taking selfies at a waterfall.
It is gathered that the 22-year-old man from Uzbekistan was stuck in Thailand due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He went hiking with six Russian friends in Ranong, southern Thailand, on Saturday morning and allegedly ignored warning signs not to stand at the top of the waterfalls in the national park.
He is reported to have slipped on the wet surface and fell to his death 50ft below.
His body was discovered among sharp rocks at the bottom of the waterfall two hours later by emergency services.
He had suffered a deep cut to his head and was declared dead at the scene.
His body has since been transferred to the Ranong Hospital for a post-death examination.
When questioned by the police, his friends, four men and two women, all said that he had stood on top of the waterfall to take selfies among the idyllic surroundings in the Ngao Waterfall National Park.
Speaking about Soipov’s death, Chalit Sinrojthanakorn, head government officer for the national park, said the late Soipov had ignored warnings not to go near the edge of the waterfall due to its slippery surface. He said:
“As soon as we received the call we immediately coordinated with the rescue foundation and the police. The young foreign tourist and his friends rented motorbikes and travelled from Phuket to view the beautiful scenery. The deceased walked off the path set out by authorities to climb the waterfall. He then slipped on a rock and fell. His body crashed against the rocks below and he was bleeding through the mouth and nose. The death was very quick.”
The park ranger said that Soipov had “violated” a ban on climbing the waterfall because he “wanted to take pictures”.
Police said the tourist’s body has been sent to the hospital to confirm the cause of death and the Embassy of Uzbekistan has been informed.
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