The journey turned into a tragedy. Three men were on their way to a wedding in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday morning when their car fell off a bridge, local media reported. The three men on board, who died in the accident, were following a route suggested by Google Maps. An investigation has been opened against the American technology giant's mapping service.
Police intend to pursue the Google navigation system along with representatives of the public works department, the Press Trust of India news agency said. The driver was following the route indicated by Google Maps when he took a bridge with part of the deck missing.
A local police official confirmed that part of the bridge was damaged a few months ago during flooding.
“We send our most sincere condolences to the families. We are working closely with the authorities and supporting the investigation,” a Google spokesperson was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times daily.
The accident comes a year after the deaths of two doctors in the southern state of Kerala whose car plunged into the Periyar River after following directions given by the navigation system.
On November 13, at least 14 people returning from a wedding died after their bus fell into a river in Pakistan. Only the bride survived. Road accidents are common in this region where the roads are often in poor condition.
