In a tragic case of Google Maps blunder, a car climbed onto an under-construction bridge and plunged into the river flowing 50 feet below in Faridpur in the Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh.
The damaged Wagon R was taken out of the Ramganga river when the villagers spotted it. All three in it were dead by then. The villagers informed the police about the accident.
The victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj on Sunday morning, when the accident took place.
They navigated using Google Maps, but the app failed to indicate that a portion of the bridge was damaged, news agency PTI reported.
“Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the GPS. As a result, the driver was misled and did not realize the bridge was unsafe,” Circle Officer of the area Ashutosh Shivam said.
थाना फरीदपुर, बरेली क्षेत्रान्तर्गत निर्माणधीन पुल से एक कार के गिरने, जिसमें कार सवार 03 व्यक्तियो की मृत्यु हो जाने की सूचना पर की जा रही कार्यवाही के सम्बन्ध में क्षेत्राधिकारी फरीदपुर बरेली की बाइट।#UPPolicepic.twitter.com/phDGUsPPNz
"In addition, the absence of safety barriers or warning signs on the under-construction bridge compounded the danger, leading to the fatal accident," the CO added.
The victims’ family blamed the negligence of the administration for the accident. They have also requested the district magistrate to take action against those responsible so that such incidents do not happen in future.
