Three people died after Google Maps guided them through a bridge under construction

On November 24, 2024 local time, a car was found in Faridpur, Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, northern India, after it had fallen from an unfinished viaduct. The three men in the car were also confirmed dead, and it was discovered that they had been using Google Maps to navigate to a bridge under construction.

UP Bridge Accident: 3 men die after Google Maps leads car to fall into river from incomplete bridge in Bareilly - India Today

Google Maps horror:

Wrong #GPS location took the lives of 3 people in #Bareilly , #UttarPradesh #GoogleMaps directed a car to a half-finished bridge.

Due to dense #fog , the incomplete bridge was not visible and the car falls into the #RamgangaRiver , resulting in the death of… pic.twitter.com/uTCMKTz7xG

— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy) November 24, 2024

The three men, identified as Nitin Kumar, Ajit Kumar and Amit Kumar, were on their way to a family wedding in Bareilly at the time.

The fatal accident occurred on a bridge over the Ramganga River in Bareilly district, which had been severely damaged in a previous flood and was undergoing repair work. Late at night on November 23, 2024, Kumar and his companions were driving a car across the bridge, guided by Google Maps, when they fell 50 feet (about 15 meters) into the Ramganga River.

The following morning, local residents found Nitin Kumar's car and the three bodies were found inside. Local police reported, 'A damaged car was found in the Ramganga River at around 9:30 am on November 24, 2024. Police arrived at the scene after receiving a call and identified the bodies of the three occupants, then transported them for postmortem examination. It appears that they drove to an unfinished viaduct and fell into the river.'

The victim's family has blamed Google and the bridge construction company for a lack of safety measures. Nitin's brother-in-law Pramod Kumar said: 'They were driving while checking their route using Google Maps when they fell off the unfinished bridge. Unfinished roads are supposed to be closed, but the bridge was not closed at the time of the accident. And Google Maps should not have shown the bridge as open.'

Faridpur SDM Gulab Singh said, 'The access road to the bridge was not sealed at the time of the accident. We have ordered an investigation and will take appropriate action against those responsible at the time of the accident.'

In response to the incident, a Google spokesperson issued a statement saying, 'Our deepest condolences go to the victim's family. Google is working closely with local authorities to investigate the matter and will provide an update as there are further developments.'