Bareilly: At least three people lost their lives on Saturday after their car plunged into the Ramganga river in Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, when they were misdirected by Google Maps to an under-construction bridge.
The victims were traveling from Gurugram to Bareilly to attend a wedding and were relying on the GPS navigation of Google Maps to reach their destination. However, the app directed them to an unfinished flyover, leading the car to fall from a height of 50 feet into the river.
The accident came to light on Sunday morning when locals noticed blood flowing in the river and discovered the car submerged. The three bodies were recovered, and police were alerted to the scene. Authorities later confirmed the incident and took the bodies for post-mortem examination.
At around 9:30 am, a damaged Wagon R was found in the river. Police investigations revealed that the vehicle, believed to have been hired as a taxi, had driven onto an incomplete bridge and plunged into the water below.
According to the police, two of the victims were identified as Amit and Vivek. One of the injured passengers, who survived the incident, told authorities that they had been led to the unfinished bridge by Google Maps.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident and are examining how the navigation error occurred. Meanwhile, local authorities are urging caution for travelers relying on GPS apps and encouraging drivers to confirm routes with local directions.
