Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially-constructed bridge in Bareilly on Sunday (November 24, 2024), police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.

"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.

The victims, identified as Vivek, Amit, and a third individual yet to be named, were travelling from Gurugram to Bareilly to attend a wedding.

Relying on Google Maps for navigation, their vehicle unknowingly approached an incomplete flyover. Unaware of the danger, they drove onto the structure, which abruptly ended, causing the car to fall 50 feet into the river below.

There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Mr. Shivam said.

The tragedy came to light the next morning when locals spotted the mangled remains of the car in the shallow riverbed. Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Mr. Shivam added.

The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is under way.

Distraught family members of the deceased criticised local authorities, accusing them of negligence. They questioned why the under-construction bridge lacked proper barricades or warning signs to prevent such accidents.

"The officials must be held accountable for this negligence. Why was the bridge left incomplete, and why were there no safety measures in place?" a relative demanded. They called for a formal investigation and urged the filing of an FIR against the concerned construction department.