Google Helping Officials In Bareilly Bridge Death Probe: Report

Tech giant Google is assisting authorities investigating the deaths of three men who allegedly drove off an unfinished bridge in UP while following a direction on Google Maps, AFP reported.

The group was en route to a wedding on Sunday when their car fell into the Ramganga river from the incomplete bridge.

According to a police official, a part of the bridge was damaged by a flood last year.

Nitin and Ajit, both 30 and both brothers from Farrukhabad district, and Amit, 40, from Mainpuri district, were on their way from Noida to Faridpur in Bareilly to attend a wedding.

“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 was quoted as saying in the report.

Police have booked four engineers of the Public Works Department and an unnamed official of Google Maps in connection with the deaths, as per PTI’s report.

This comes at the heart of Google unveiling a number of new features at its annual ‘Google For India’ event.

The announcements are part of Google’s efforts to dominate the digital space in India, which has emerged as the world’s largest consumer internet market for tech giants. 

As per Inc42 data, top internet firms like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Google, Snapchat and YouTube have their largest user base in India.

Google is also bringing new AI-powered features to Google Maps to improve navigation and enhance customer experience amid increasing competition from the likes of MapmyIndia and Bhavish Aggarwal-led Ola Maps.

The new feature on Google Maps app will now analyse reviews and show AI-generated summaries of places. Additionally, Maps will display photos uploaded by businesses and users when customers search for items and experiences on the app.

Google is also said to be looking to settle an antitrust case related to smart TV segment after it was found guilty of breaching India’s competition laws.