Tourists drive in to swollen stream while using Google Maps in Kerala
PTC Web News: A tourist group from Hyderabad drove into a swollen stream near Kuruppanthara in this south Kerala district while navigating using Google Maps, police said Thursday.
The incident occurred late Friday night while the four-person group, which included a woman, was travelling towards Alappuzha.
The road they were driving on was covered in water overflowing from the stream as a result of the severe rains, and because the tourists were unfamiliar with the area, they drove right into the water body while navigating with Google maps, they claimed.
All four were able to escape unharmed thanks to the rescue efforts of a nearby police patrolling unit and local citizens, but their vehicle sank.
"Efforts are underway to extract the vehicle," a Kaduthuruthy police officer stated.
This is not the first time this type of incident has been reported in Kerala.
In October of last year, two young doctors died in a car accident after allegedly following directions on Google Maps and falling into the river.
Following the event, the Kerala police issued cautionary rules for deploying the technology during the monsoon season.
- PTC NEWS
