Kerala: Hyderabad Tourists Drive Into Stream Following Google Map Instructions

On their way to Alappuzha in Kerala, a small four-member group from Hyderabad, including a woman, drove their car into a stream full of water following Google Maps guidance. The tourists were traveling from Kottayam to Alappuzha when the they mistook the GPS instructions, reported The News Minute.

The incident happened near Kuruppanthara in this area of south Kerala on Friday. The travelers, who were not familiar with the places and relied on Google Maps for navigation completely, fell into the water, according to authorities.

Besides, the heavy rain the state has been receiving for the past couple of days caused the stream to overflow so much that the water reached the road they were traveling on. The group continued to drive without knowing the area, taking the GPS guidance and eventually going straight to the stream. The incident happened near the Kadavu bridge.

However, all the passengers escaped unharmed with the help of local residents and police. Initially, they broke the window of the vehicle to come out before it was sunk. The passengers said that the reason for the accident was that they followed the Google Map directions without proper visibility. The driver mistook the stream for a waterlogged road, according to the tourists.

The police and Fire and Rescue Services immediately reached the spot and began the rescue operation. The vehicle was retrieved from the stream.

Notably, this is not the first such incident in the state. In 2023, two young doctors lost their lives when their car plunged into the river Periyar at Gothuruth while following directions on Google Maps. The deceased, Advaith and Ajmal, both 29 years old, were working at a private hospital in Thrissur district.