A British tourist has been hospitalised after he climbed an out-of-bounds rock face in Vietnam and fell while taking a selfie.

The British man scaled the rock face, which locals call the ‘Cliff of Death’, in Xeo Sa Lung village, Pai Lung commune, Meo Vac district on 17th March.

While snapping selfies in front of the scenic view, he was hit by a rock that fell from above, causing him to fall and badly injure his left leg.

First responders arrived on the scene from Pai Lung and gave the victim first aid. He was then taken to Ha Giang General Hospital by ambulance.

Hospital officials said he was admitted in a fairly serious condition, with his left leg crushed in parts and his calf torn.

Medics applied bandages and splints, halted the bleeding, and gave the patient pain relief before transferring him to a larger hospital in the capital city, Hanoi.

Officials say the Cliff of Death, which is located alongside the popular Ma Pi Leng Pass, is dangerous, with many large, unstable boulders stacked on top of each other.

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

There are reportedly several signs warning tourists not to scale the rock face, as well as fences blocking access to the area, which are regularly disregarded, say officials.

In January 2021, a tourist slipped and fell from the Cliff of Death while taking photos and landed in a crevice, sustaining injuries.

At the time of reporting, the man’s name and age were withheld.