Two doctors died after their car plunged into a river at Gothuruth located off here early on Sunday morning, while three others in the car were rescued by local residents.
As per preliminary assessment by the police and statements of local people, heavy rain and ‘wrong direction’ shown on Google Maps led to the accident wherein the car nosedived into the waterbody from the road.
Those dead are Advaith from Kollam and Ajmal from Kodungalloor, both aged 28 years, who were working at a private hospital in Kodungalloor. Those rescued include doctor Khasik Kabeer, nursing student Jismon, and medical student Thamanna. Their condition is stable.
Misguided by lights
They were returning to Kodungalloor reportedly after attending the birthday party of Dr. Advaith in Kochi. “Instead of turning left, they apparently took a right turn from Labour Junction based on directions on Google Maps. They were apparently under the impression that they were entering a waterlogged road around 12.35 a.m. The survivors said they were confident that it was a road since they saw the lights of a temple straight ahead. The temple was in fact located on the other side of the river,” said an inspector of the Vadakkekara police station.
Barricade placed
A resident who saw the car plunge into the river alerted others and led the initial rescue efforts. While they could save three passengers, the two doctors drowned. Their bodies were recovered by personnel of the Fire and Rescue Services and the police. A barricade was subsequently placed on the road to warn motorists of the waterbody.
Ebin Sam, a scientist at the Thiruvananthapuram-based NATPAC, said motorists taking the wrong route based on Google Maps was not uncommon. He recounted how he and his fellow passengers in a car had a lucky escape after Google Maps directed them to a road which ended in a gorge at Erattupetta a few years ago. Luckily, it was daytime.
“Motorists must be vigilant on unfamiliar roads, especially at night and during inclement weather. They must be on the watch for signboards, while agencies which own roads must build steel or concrete barricades with reflectors through the length to demarcate roads from waterbodies. A case in point is four schoolchildren and a caretaker drowning in an accident after their van fell into Parvathy Puthanar in Thiruvananthapuram a few years ago, he added.
Officials of Google could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.
