Car guided to abandoned bridge by app; 3 killed, 1 missing

BHILWARA: Three relatives, including a mother-daughter duo and another woman, died while a six-year-old girl went missing after their car was swept away on a river bridge in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district early Wednesday. Police said Google Maps had led the vehicle with nine passengers to the bridge, which had been closed for three years, reports Somdutt Tripathi.

The accident occurred around 1.30am. Five people were rescued with the help of boats, even as searches continued for the missing minor late into Wednesday night.

The nine were all relatives and members of Gadri community from Chittorgarh’s Kanakheda village. They were returning from a visit to Sawai Bhoj temple in neighbouring Bhilwara district, and relied on Google Maps for an alternative route as police had erected barricades on roads leading to flooded areas.

The app led them to the closed Somi-Uprera bridge over Banas river, which was in spate due to heavy rains that had battered the region for the past three to four days. When the driver tried to manoeuvre the car across the bridge, the vehicle got stuck in a pothole and was washed away by the strong currents, police said.

With trapped passengers screaming for help, many locals rushed to the spot and began rescue efforts with aid from the district administration. While they managed to save five people — including two nine-month-old twins — four others were swept away.