British tourist falls from Vietnam’s ‘Cliff of Death’ when he was hit by falling rock while taking selfie

A British man has been hospitalised with serious injuries in Vietnam after climbing on a rock face and falling while trying to take a selfie on his phone.

The man, who has not been named, had his left leg crushed following the incident in  Xeo Sa Lung village, Pai Lung commune, Meo Vac district on 17 March.

The tourist had been climbing on a rock locals refer to as the ‘Cliff of Death’. He was hit by a boulder while taking the photo, causing him to fall and badly injure his leg.

Emergency services were called and first responders from Pai Lung administered first aid to the man.

An ambulance then took him to Ha Giang General Hospital for further treatment. His condition was not left threatening.

The patient was given pain relief and had bandages and splints on the injured leg. He was later transferred to a larger hospital in the capital city, Hanoi.

The Cliff of Death, which near the popular Pi Leng Pass, is dangerous, with many large, unstable boulders stacked on top of one another, officials say.

Tourists often scale the cliff to take photos on a rock formation overlooking a picturesque view, despite the lack of safety rails and the often slippery conditions.

Officials said there were several signs warning tourists not to scale the cliff, as well as fences blocking access to the area, which are regularly disregarded,.

In December last year an Irish tourist died after falling out of a moving train in Vietnam.

Patrick Ward, 45, was travelling with a tour group from Thai capital Bangkok to Kanchanaburi town.

At a brief stop over the river Kwai, the group made its way to the Sai Yok waterfall, a popular tourist destination.

Ward fell when he opened the door of the train carriage near a slope, according to the police.

The tourist had opened a door in the train carriage and fell 7-8 metres down a slope when the train slowed down at a scenic spot, police said.

Officers did not confirm whether the tourist was attempting to take a selfie, as was reported by local media outlets.