Engineer drowns after 90-minute wait as rescue efforts fail in Greater Noida
Greater Noida: A 27-year-old software engineer lost his life in Greater Noida after his car plunged into a deep, waterlogged pit in dense fog, with rescue teams unable to reach him in time despite his repeated pleas for help.
The victim is identified as Yuvraj Mehta, who worked in Gurugram. Mehta was driving back to his residence at Tata Eureka Park in Noida’s Sector 150 over the weekend when the accident occurred. According to police, Mehta misjudged a turn amid poor visibility. The vehicle jumped a drain before crashing into an approximately 50-foot-deep pit filled with rainwater. Investigators noted that the excavation site had no barricades, reflective markers or warning signage.
After the car fell into the pit, Mehta managed to climb onto its roof and remained there for nearly 90 minutes as water levels rose. During that time, he called his father, Raj Kumar Mehta, seeking urgent help. “My son himself called me while he was trapped. He said, ‘Papa, I am stuck, the car has fallen into the drain,’” his father had said earlier, as reported by Hindustan Times.
Teams from the police, fire department, State Disaster Response Force and National Disaster Response Force eventually reached the spot, but their movement was slowed by heavy winter fog and darkness. Police said ropes thrown into the pit failed to reach Mehta, while ladders and a crane deployed by firefighters were also unable to bridge the distance. Before he could be pulled out, the car sank completely. His body was later recovered using a boat.
Following public outrage over the incident, police registered a case of culpable homicide against two real estate firms linked to the plot, MZ Wiztown Planners Ltd and Lotus Greens Construction Pvt Ltd. Both companies denied responsibility. Lotus Greens said the land had been transferred to another party with the Noida Authority’s approval in 2019-20, while MZ Wiztown Planners’ promoter Abhay Kumar claimed the excavation already existed when the land was handed over and that the firm had not been granted permission to begin work.
The Noida Authority has also issued show-cause notices to officials responsible for traffic-related work in the Sector 150 area, and a junior engineer has been dismissed. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hemant Upadhyay told HT that the initial findings suggest that dense fog may have caused Mehta to misjudge the turn, adding that overspeeding was also being examined as a possible factor. Officials acknowledged that although streetlights were present, near-zero visibility due to fog severely limited sightlines at the time of the accident.
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Disabled tribal girl crawls for firewood in Singrauli; Video goes viral
Singrauli: A video showing an 11-year-old tribal girl crawling on her knees while carrying firewood on her head from Singrauli district has drawn widespread attention on social media, prompting administrative action.
The girl, Dil Kumari Baiga, is disabled in both legs since birth and cannot walk. She studies in Class 3 and lives with her maternal grandparents, Ram Brij Baiga and Sonmati Baiga, in Barahpan village near the Chhattisgarh border. Her mother, Urmila Baiga, has four children, and due to Dil Kumari’s disability, her grandparents took responsibility for raising her.
Explaining the incident, her grandfather said the family had never asked the child to collect firewood. He said she went on her own, believing her grandparents needed warmth during the cold. He became emotional while speaking about the video.
The grandfather also stated that he had repeatedly approached the sarpanch and local representatives for help and sought assistance at the panchayat level, but no concrete support was provided. The family continues to live in poverty while the child struggles with her disability and studies.
After the issue was highlighted by Dainik Bhaskar, the administration stepped in. The girl and her family were called to the district headquarters, where the Red Cross Society provided her with a tricycle to assist with mobility.
Additional CEO of the District Panchayat, IB Damor, said the girl’s health check-up is underway and arrangements are being made for treatment and possible surgery. He added that all eligible benefits under government schemes would be provided to Dil Kumari.
Following the video going viral, Congress leaders also visited the village. Leader Surya Dwivedi said sharing the video was not enough and that action was necessary. He assured that if government help is delayed, assistance would be provided at a personal level.
