There was a time when navigating unfamiliar places meant relying on paper maps and a good sense of direction.
Fast forward to the modern era, and the internet, coupled with mobile technology, has put the entire world at people's fingertips.
With mapping platforms now standard features on most smartphones, GPS-enabled devices can connect to satellites orbiting approximately 20,200 kilometers above the Earth.
In theory, this technology ensures that getting lost is a thing of the past.
However, while this technology is incredibly convenient, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee safety for its users.
In India, a tragic accident claimed the lives of three men after Google Maps mistakenly directed their car onto an under-construction bridge, causing the vehicle to plunge into the Ramganga River in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district.
The victims were traveling from Gurugram to Bareilly to attend a wedding.
Relying solely on Google Maps for navigation, they unknowingly followed the route to an incomplete flyover.
Believing they were driving on a straight, empty road, they never imagined the danger ahead. The car plunged 15 meters into the river below.
With the water too shallow to cushion the fall, the impact was fatal.
The car experienced huge impact when it hit the sands of the river in the dark of the night.
Locals discovered the wrecked vehicle the next morning.
Inside, they found the three men already deceased. Authorities were notified, and the police arrived to recover the bodies, which were later sent for post-mortem examination.
"At 9:30 am today, a damaged car was found on the river Ramganga. Police were informed and arrived at the spot. When the police arrived, they saw a Wagon R, which was possibly hired as a taxi, on the river. The car went to the incomplete bridge and fell into a river from there," the Faridpur police said.
"The bodies were found and taken for post-mortem. The identities of two people, Amit and Vivek, were confirmed. More details on the identity of the third one are being worked on," police added.
The other deceased was later identified as Kaushal.
The families of the victims, who have been informed of the tragedy, expressed their anger and blamed the authorities for the incident.
Rajesh, the uncle of two of the deceased, shared that his entire family resides in Gurgaon, where his nephews managed a security agency.
During their journey, the two had spoken to family members around 6:00 am, mentioning that they expected to reach Faridpur in about 15 minutes. However, when they failed to arrive at the wedding venue after a considerable time, Rajesh tried calling them, only to find that their phones were switched off.
It was only hours later that the family received the devastating news through their own phones, informing them of the tragic deaths of their loved ones.
They questioned why the bridge remained incomplete and why no barricades or warning signs were placed at the end of the structure to prevent such accidents.
If the administration and the Central Public Works Department had closed the route of the bridge properly, then perhaps this accident would not have happened.
The grieving relatives demanded accountability, insisting that an FIR (first investigation report) be filed against the construction department for alleged negligence that led to the fatal mishap.
As for why the incident happened, the route on Google Maps appeared to be a clear flyover over the river when in fact, the flyover was still under construction, and that one side of it was not yet built.
In other words, Google Maps led the three young men down a one-way road to their tragic deaths.
And the authorities had something to say about this.
"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," said the Circle Officer of the area Ashutosh Shivam.
Furthermore, the Circle Officer pointed to the absence of safety barriers or warning signs on the under-construction bridge that may have prevented the foreseeable disaster.
The report further states that the car was moving at high speed, due to which the driver was unable to bring the vehicle to a halt when the bridge ended.
"The bridge is being constructed by UP State Bridge Corporation Ltd and the approach road in Budaun towards it was open. We have ordered an investigation, and action will be taken against the guilty officials," the official said.
Social media users raised concerns over the risks of relying solely on navigation technology, as one user stated, “Never trust Google Maps blindly.”
"Tragic incident! Relying solely on Google Maps can be risky," said another.
"How did Google Maps show the road as open? I thought they have satellites to map routes and traffic! This murder is on @Google," expressed another.