Maharashtra News: Truck Carrying Chemicals Overturns In Ratnagiri After Google Maps Shows Incorrect Route

Mumbai: Using Google Maps when trying to find quicker route to the destination has become fatal as another case of being lost following roads using Google maps has come forward from Ratnagiri where a chemical truck lost its way and turned over in the Phungus area of Ratnagiri district from Maharashtra.

While coming from Goa towards Mumbai, an truck loaded with chemicals, which was travelling via Phungus after searching for a shortcut on Google Maps, overturned and met with an accident. In this accident, the barrels loaded with chemicals in the truck were swept away into the forest, causing major damage. Fortunately, the driver jumped out of the vehicle and averted casualties.

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The Eicher tempo was coming towards Mumbai from the Goa Highway carrying 47 barrels required for color. After reaching Nivali, he took the help of Google Maps. Google Maps showed the route to Phungus and Ukshi. However, due to the difficult turn on the Ukshi route, he decided to go to Sangameshwar via Jakadevi Phungus.

At Phungus around 9 am, he lost control of the vehicle on a difficult turn and the Eicher overturned on the right side. Out of the 47 barrels in it, 30 barrels are left. The rest of the barrels have been swept away into the forest on the slope. The Eicher has suffered extensive damage in this. The police officer informed the Sangameshwar police station about this. The police reached the spot and conducted a panchnama.

In a similar incident, a 29-year-old woman, Shweta Sharma from Kharghar, drove her Audi into a creek in Belapur while following Google Maps directions early Friday morning. The incident occurred around 1 am during heavy rain when she mistakenly took a road leading to the creek instead of the flyover at Dhruvatara jetty. PSI Alankar Mhatre from the Coast Security witnessed the speeding car and attempted to signal her to stop, but she continued on and plunged into the water.

Realizing the imminent danger, Sharma opened the car's boot and managed to escape as the vehicle sank. The coastal security police and Indian rescue academy team, stationed nearby, swiftly responded and rescued her in approximately 15 minutes. A crane was later used to retrieve the car from the creek. Fortunately, Sharma was unharmed in the incident.