Car plunges into river claiming two lives in Kerala; Google Map allegedly misled

Two young doctors died on Sunday when the car they were travelling in plunged into river Periyar at Gothuruth near here, police said.

Two young doctors were killed and three had a narrow escape after their car plunged into a river at Gothuruth near Paravur on the suburbs of Kochi in Kerala during the wee hours of Sunday.

They were said to be finding the route using Google Maps and took a wrong deviation.

Dr Adwaith, 28, and Dr Ajmal, 27, both practising at a private hospital at Kodungallur in adjacent Thrissur district, died.

Three others, including an MBBS student in the car, who were rescued, reportedly said that they were finding the route with the help of Google Maps.

The local police said that as per the statement of the accident survivors they were finding the route with the help of Google Maps. One of the deceased was driving the car. All those were being verified, said a local police officer.

Local sources said that the driver seemed to have missed a turn and took the turn a few metres after the actual turn. There were neither any barricades nor any sign board regarding the river. Since it was raining and visibility was poor the driver could have misunderstood the swollen river as a waterlogged road.