Kerala: Amid heavy night rains, GPS guides five doctors in car into a river; two dead

Two men perished of drowning while three others traveling in a car were rescued after a GPS navigation system misguided them into a river amid heavy rains in Kerala’s Ernakulum district past midnight on Saturday. As per reports, Dr Advaith, who was at the wheel of the Honda Civic turned on GPS as it was extremely dark and rainy out there. He allegedly drove into the river thinking it as a waterlogged stretch of the road. Except that it was not the road but a river, and the car started sinking. Dr Advaith (29) died and so did his colleague Dr Ajmal Asif (29). The people sitting in the backseat managed to get out with the help of people present at the spot, reports said. As per reports, the five were returning to Kodungallur from Kochi after doing some shopping for Dr Advaith who had turned 29 on Saturday. Dr Gaziq Thabseer, one of the survivors, revealed that the accident occurred after GPS rerouted them. “Yes we were using GPS. However, since I was not driving, I can’t confirm if it was a technical glitch of the application or a human error,” he told “It was Dr Advaith’s birthday, and the doctors went to Kochi to celebrate it with a male nurse in our hospital. Dr Ajmal’s fiancée was also part of the celebration,” said Ashok Ravi, senior manager of Kodungallur CRAFT Hospital where the doctors were employed. During the monsoon season, the GPS system directs cars to less congested highways, but experts warn less congested roads are not necessarily safer. “It is also important to remember to select the mode of travel on the map.” “A four-wheeler can’t go like a bike,” an expert claimed. Dr. Ajmal was from the Thrissur area, whereas Dr. Advaith was from Kollam. Jismon and Tamanna, as well as Dr. Thabseer, who works in the cardiac department at CRAFT Hospital, were among those who survived. Jismon works as a hospital nurse, while Tamanna is an MBBS student in Palakkad. All three have been admitted to a hospital in Kochi. Dr. Advaith’s mortal remains were transferred to Kalamassery Medical College, while Dr. Ajmal’s body was transferred to Thrissur Medical College for an autopsy.