Three persons were killed when their GPS-guided automobile accidentally drove across an under-construction bridge and plunged 50 feet into the Ramganga river.
The victims depended on Google Maps for navigation as they traveled from Gurugram. The vehicle drove onto the bridge, unaware that it was unfinished, and plummeted into the shallow river.
The victims, Vivek Kumar and Amit from Farrukhabad, were en route to Bareilly for a wedding. The following morning, locals noticed the wrecked Wagon R and reported it to the police.
“Earlier this year, floods caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse, but this change had not been updated in the GPS. The absence of barricades or warning signs further compounded the danger,” said Ashutosh Shivam, Circle Officer of the area.
The family members of the victims blamed the local administration and construction authorities for negligence. “There was no barricading or signage to warn vehicles about the incomplete bridge,” a family member stated. They have requested strict action against those responsible to prevent future tragedies.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and the police are working to identify the third victim. An investigation into the incident is underway.