Udaipur: Four members of a family were killed and one remains missing after a van carrying nine people, reportedly following direction on Google Map, was swept away into the Banas River in Rajasthan on Tuesday.
Five members managed to save themselves by climbing onto the van, while four others drowned in the river. “The van, while following directions on Google Maps, reached the Sompi-Uperda bridge, which has been closed for the past three years. Due to the strong river current, the van was swept off the bridge,” a police officer said.
The family, residents of Kanakheda village in Chittorgarh, was returning from Sawai Bhoj Temple in Bhilwara when they lost their way around 1 am. “Google Maps directed them towards the closed bridge. Meanwhile, water was overflowing as the gates of the Matrikundiya Dam had been opened. The van got stuck trying to cross the bridge and was eventually carried away,” the officer said.
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“So far, bodies of three women and a four-year-old girl have been recovered, but another girl is still missing. Search operation is still underway. Those who could save themselves had mobile phone. They called us, following which we swung into action. It is a deserted area as the bridge was lying closed from last three years,” Rashmi station house officer Devendra Dewal told HT.
{{/usCountry}}“So far, bodies of three women and a four-year-old girl have been recovered, but another girl is still missing. Search operation is still underway. Those who could save themselves had mobile phone. They called us, following which we swung into action. It is a deserted area as the bridge was lying closed from last three years,” Rashmi station house officer Devendra Dewal told HT.
{{/usCountry}}Cyber experts have raised concerns over complete reliance on Google Maps. “It is not safe to blindly trust Google Maps,” an expert said. They explained that Maps can sometimes show incorrect routes if new roads are not updated, or if routes are closed due to heavy rains, storms, or floods. “Since Google Maps relies on GPS signals, lack of network coverage in some areas can also lead to misleading directions,” the expert added
The survivors were later rescued with the help of a fisherman’s boat. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are continuing to locate the missing girl. The recovered bodies were sent for postmortem.