A car heading from Nepal towards Gorakhpur late Sunday night narrowly escaped disaster after it ended up hanging mid-air from the edge of an under-construction flyover on National Highway 24 in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district. Apparently, Google Maps show no indication of a flyover at the site where the incident happened.

The highway, which connects India and Nepal via the Gorakhpur-Sonauli route, is currently undergoing development work, including the construction of a flyover near Bhaiya, Pharenda.

According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred around 1 a.m. when the vehicle, traveling from Sonauli to Gorakhpur, approached the incomplete flyover in the dark.

On spotting the abrupt end of the flyover, the driver managed to hit the brakes just in time, preventing a potentially fatal plunge. The car, however, was left precariously dangling from the edge of the structure.

Nearby residents rushed out of their homes after hearing a loud noise and found the vehicle hanging mid-air. The occupants of the car reportedly escaped unharmed and managed to exit the vehicle with considerable effort.

Police arrived on the scene shortly after but found the car empty. By morning, the construction agency responsible for the flyover arranged for a crane to remove the vehicle, and the occupants reportedly drove away without informing the authorities.

When questioned about the incident, Pharenda SHO Prashant Pathak said, “By the time we reached the site, the car and its occupants had already left. They had the car removed with the help of a crane before our arrival.”

The incident has sparked questions about whether the mishap was due to the negligence of the construction agency or misleading navigation. However, an inspection of Google Maps shows that the route diversion is clearly marked.

In fact, Google Maps does not indicate the presence of a flyover at the site at all, raising doubts about why the navigation app is being blamed.