Tourists drive Ford Endeavour SUV into canal after Google Maps misguides

Commuters across the world often depend on Google Maps for accurate navigation to reach their destinations. But even the most accurate navigation system can get wrong and land you in trouble. A group of tourists from Telangana found it the hard way when their Ford Endeavour SUV literally landed in a canal after Google Maps misguided them. The incident took place last weekend in Kerala and was shared across social media.

According to reports, the group of tourists from Hyderabad were on a visit to the southern state. They were headed to Alappuzha at night when the incident took place. Google Maps led the Ford Endeavour SUV they were driving in straight into a canal near Kurappanthara. According to the tourists, the SUV fell into the canal after Google Maps suggested them to take a turn. The SUV plunged into the canal after that.

Image of the half-submerged Ford Endeavour SUV surfaced on social media. Local villagers were seen trying to rescue the black Endeavour from the canal. The tourists said the SUV had drifted nearly 150 meters before sinking. All four tourists had a narrow escape as they managed to come out of the SUV by breaking open the windows.

According to local authorities, the canal has been overflowing after recent rains in the region. The overflowing canal partially submerged the road, masking it from naked eye. The Google Maps misled the Ford Endeavour occupants as they failed to see the road was submerged in the darkness.

Accidents due to Google Maps offering misguided navigation is not a fringe incident. In 2023, two people had died in a similar incident after their vehicle fell into a river while following the route suggestion offered by the navigation app. In United States too, a man lost his life last year after driving off a broken bridge while following directions from Google Maps, which resulted in a fatal fall of approximately 20 feet.

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