NEW DELHI: Google said on Tuesday it was assisting Indian authorities probing the deaths of three men who reportedly drove off an incomplete bridge while following a route on Google Maps.

The group was on their way to a wedding in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state when their car plunged into the Ramganga river from the unfinished bridge early Sunday. The driver followed Google Maps into taking the route, the Hindustan Times newspaper said on Tuesday, quoting police officials.

Police questioned an unnamed official from the navigation app, as well as others from the government public works department, the Press Trust of India news agency also reported. “Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. We’re working closely with the authorities and providing our support to investigate the issue,” a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

A local police officer said that a portion of the bridge had been damaged during a flood last year.

The accident comes a year after two doctors were killed in the southern state of Kerala when their car plunged into the state’s Periyar river after they followed the app.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2024