Google Maps, PWD officials booked in Bareilly bridge death case

Uttar Pradesh police have registered a case against an unnamed Google Maps official and four Public Works Department (PWD) engineers following a tragic accident that claimed the lives of three men in Budaun district. The victims, including two brothers and their friend, died when their car plunged off an under-construction bridge into the Ramganga River while following directions from the navigation app.

The accident occurred in the early hours of November 24 near the Bareilly-Budaun border in the Dataganj Police Station area. The victims were identified as Nitin and Ajit, both 30 and hailing from Farrukhabad district, and Amit, 40, from Mainpuri district. They were traveling from Noida to Faridpur in Bareilly to attend a wedding when the vehicle veered onto the unsafe route, unaware that the bridge was incomplete.

According to the police, the driver was misled by Google Maps, which directed the car onto the partially constructed bridge. The absence of warning signs or barriers at the site further contributed to the fatal mishap. Dataganj SHO Gaurav Bishnoi confirmed that an FIR has been lodged against four PWD engineers as well as unnamed individuals under Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The regional representative for Google Maps is also under investigation, although their name has not been formally included in the FIR.

Budaun District Magistrate Nidhi Srivastava announced that steps are being taken to address safety at the site. She also directed PWD and Setu Nigam to conduct inspections of roads, bridges, underpasses, and flyovers to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Faridpur Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam revealed that the bridge had been damaged earlier in the year by flooding, with part of the structure collapsing into the river. This structural change was not updated in the mapping system, creating a dangerous situation for drivers unfamiliar with the area.

A Google spokesperson has reportedly expressed condolences, saying, "Our deepest sympathies go out to the victims’ families. We are working closely with local authorities and offering our full support in the investigation."

The incident has raised serious questions about the reliability of navigation technology and the responsibilities of local authorities in maintaining and marking construction zones. The absence of barricades and clear signage at the accident site has come under sharp scrutiny.