Delivery Agent's Heroic Attempt To Help Techie Who Drowned In Noida

A nearly five-hour-long rescue effort was carried out by the local police, divers, and a team of the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF)  to save a 27-year-old software engineer who eventually died after his car plunged into a water-filled basement of an under-construction mall in Noida. Among them was a delivery agent who volunteered to enter the 70-foot-deep water-filled ditch in an attempt to rescue the techie, Yuvraj Mehta.

Moninder, a Flipkart delivery agent, saw Mehta holding a torch and screaming for help from inside the car. He told NDTV that the fire brigade officials "lacked the willpower" to enter the drain at night. Realising Mehta was struggling to breathe, Moninder tied a rope around his waist and jumped inside the drain to try save him. However, Mehta had already died.

The delivery agent blamed the authorities for not taking any action, even when a truck had fallen in the ditch around 10 days ago.

The tragic incident took place on Friday night near Sector 150, when the techie was returning home from work. The dense fog and low visibility caused the car to lose control and crash into the waterlogged construction pit located near a road turn. The site reportedly lacked proper barricading, warning signs, and lighting.

Some people who were passing by heard Mehta's screams and tried to help, but the car was completely submerged. The techie even called his father, Rajkumar Mehta, and told him, "Dad, I've fallen into a deep pit filled with water. I'm drowning. Please come and save me. I don't want to die." Within a few minutes, local police, divers, and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams arrived at the scene and initiated a rescue operation. Mehta's father was also present at the spot.

The techie and his car were pulled out of the ditch after nearly five hours of rescue efforts. Mehta, however, was declared dead.

Following the incident, Mehta's family filed a complaint, alleging that the authorities had neither installed reflectors nor covered drains along the service road. The absence of reflectors along the road amid dense fog caused the accident, the victim's father said. Knowledge Park Police Station in-charge Sarvesh Kumar said any negligence found in the case will be investigated, and necessary legal action will be taken.