Five members of a family, including women and children, were rescued after their car got stuck in a deep drain while they were following directions on Google Maps in Uttar Pradesh‘s Hapur district, officials said on Monday.
The incident occurred near the Preet Vihar area on Sunday when Sahil, a resident of Saddipura in Greater Noida’s Dadri area, was travelling with his family to a relative’s house in Kithore in neighbouring Meerut district.
According to the officials, the family took an alternative route suggested by Google Maps after a road near the Delhi Phatak overbridge was closed for repair work.
As they reached a waterlogged stretch in the Anand Vihar Yojana area, Sahil mistook the accumulated water for minor waterlogging due to darkness and drove ahead and his vehicle slipped into a deep roadside drain.
Officials said the car’s electronic system malfunctioned, causing the doors to lock automatically and leaving all five occupants stranded inside.
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Rescue operation lasted for 2 hours
After receiving an alert through Dial 112, police reached the spot and sought assistance from the fire department. Firefighters carried out a nearly two-hour rescue operation and safely evacuated all the occupants through the vehicle’s windows and other access points.
Chief Fire Officer Ajay Sharma said the family had inadvertently taken the wrong route while following Google Maps and failed to notice the drain because of poor visibility and waterlogging.
The rescued family later thanked the police and fire department personnel for saving their lives, officials said.
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