India probes Google Maps after 3 die from car plunging off unfinished bridge

Three men in India died on Sunday (Nov 24) after Google Maps wrongly instructed their car to cross an unfinished bridge.

The victims, who were heading to a wedding ceremony, fell about 15m into the Ramganga river, reported India Today.

According to the police, the navigation service had failed to reflect the unfinished bridge, and there were no signs or barricades warning motorists that the route was off-limits.

Locals found the damaged car and the bodies of the three men inside the vehicle on Monday morning. 

The bodies were later taken for post-mortem examination. 

A Google Maps official and four engineers from the government public works department are under police investigation, reported the Press Trust of India.

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

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the families," a Google spokesperson told AFP.

"We're working closely with the authorities and providing our support to investigate the issue."

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com