A 27-year-old Indian IT professional, Yuvraj Mehta, died after his car fell into an unmarked construction pit in Noida, a suburb of Delhi, on Friday night. The incident occurred amidst dense winter fog when his vehicle reportedly struck a low boundary wall and plunged into a water-filled pit. The site had reportedly been an abandoned construction project for several years.
Mehta, unable to swim, climbed onto his car's roof as it began to sink. He contacted his father, who arrived at the scene and alerted emergency services. His father reported that Mehta remained on the car for approximately two hours, using his phone's torch and calling for help before his cries ceased. Authorities recovered his body nearly five hours after the accident.
The incident has prompted public protests at the accident site, with demonstrators accusing authorities of negligence and demanding accountability. It has also raised concerns about infrastructure quality and urban planning in Indian cities.
In response to the incident, Noida police have filed two cases against the construction site's real estate developers based on a complaint from Mehta's family. The government of Uttar Pradesh state, where Noida is located, has removed a senior official from the township's governing authority and initiated an investigation into the rescue operation and site safety. Police have since arrested Abhay Kumar, one of the construction site owners, on charges of culpable homicide due to negligence. Kumar is in custody and has not issued a statement regarding the allegations. Further investigations are ongoing, with additional arrests anticipated.