Trapped Techie, Helpless Father, Rescue Foiled By Fog: 90 Minutes Of Horror

It was around midnight on Friday when Yuvraj Mehta was driving home in Noida from his workplace in Gurugram. Dense fog had lowered visibility to a minimum as Delhi and its surrounding areas shivered due to a cruel cold wave.

The 27-year-old software engineer was minutes away from the warmth and safety of his home when his car fell into a water-filled ditch at a construction site. Yuvraj dialled his father and called for help. Rajkumar Mehta tried everything in his power to save his son, but failed. Police and firefighters reached the spot, but could not bring Yuvraj out. He went down with his car. His body was found hours later.

Yuvraj's 90-minute futile wait for help has raised questions about the administration's preparedness and disaster response systems just 40 km from the national capital.

Disaster Strikes

Yuvraj was less than a kilometre from his home in Tata Eureka Park in Noida's Sector 150 when tragedy struck. He lost control of his Grand Vitara car near the last turn on the road to his home, apparently due to low visibility. His car overshot the road and fell into a ditch at a construction site. According to reports, the ditch was being built as the basement of the upcoming project. Yuvraj immediately called his father and asked for help.

Techie's Pleas For Help

Soon after Yuvraj's call, his father alerted the cops. According to police sources, Rajkumar Mehta dialled the 112 helpline around 12.30 am. At 12.41 am, the local Knowledge Park police station was informed. Around 12.50 am, teams of police and fire brigade reached the spot. Yuvraj had switched on his phone's torch and was asking for help. Teams of the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force reached the spot at 1.15 am and 1.55 am, respectively.

Multiple reports have said Yuvraj kept asking for help for nearly 90 minutes -- till about 1.30 am -- before he drowned. His body was found around 4.30 am.

Why Cops, Firefighters Did Not Jump In

Questions have been raised regarding the response of police and firefighters. It has come to light that they had reached the spot well before Yuvraj drowned. The question then is: why could the techie not be saved? Some eyewitnesses have claimed that cops and firefighters were wary of jumping into the ditch because it had iron rods jutting out. Police, however, have trashed such allegations. Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Narayan Mishra said police and fire department used equipment such as a crane, ladder, makeshift boat and searchlights, but visibility was near zero due to the fog, which hampered rescue efforts.

What Techie's Father Said

Rajkumar Mehta has said that visibility was so low that he struggled to spot the vehicle when he reached the spot. "Visibility was very low and when I called him, he opened the torchlight of his phone inside the car. We could see a faint little light from the water body. But it was so difficult for anybody to get inside the water body. The police and other rescue officials tried throwing a rope, but to no avail," he told reporters. He also said that if expert divers had gone in, his son could have been saved.

Incidentally, a truck met with a similar accident at the same spot a few days back, but the local authority did not install basic safety equipment such as barricades or reflectors.

The Good Samaritan, And His Futile Attempt

Mohinder, who works as an e-commerce delivery partner, has made headlines because he jumped into the ditch in a desperate attempt to save Yuvraj, but it was too late. Mohinder has said he was on his way to make a delivery when he saw a crowd at the spot. "I asked if I could go in. They asked me if I knew how to swim. I said yes. I immediately took off my clothes, tied a rope around my waist, and jumped in. He had drowned just 10 minutes before I arrived. I looked for him for at least 30 to 40 minutes. They told me that he stopped shouting for help just around five minutes ago," Mohinder said.

"That turn is so dangerous that if someone unfamiliar with the area approaches it in the fog, there's a 101% chance they will fall into the ditch. There isn't even a wall," he added.

Who Is To Blame, And Action So Far

The young engineer's tragic death has raised chilling questions about administrative apathy. Local residents have said the water-filled ditch was not even barricaded, making it a death trap for drivers during low visibility conditions.

Under fire after the incident, the local authorities are now working to fill the ditch. The local Junior Engineer has been terminated from service and several officials showcaused. Satish Pal Singh, the Additional CEO of Noida, told NDTV, "The entire matter is being investigated and action will be taken against those responsible. Previous complaints by local residents are also being looked into."

"This blind spot was accidentally left out. It is now being addressed. The CEO has launched a campaign to identify such blind spots," he said. Police have also registered a case against two builders, MJ Wishtown Planner Limited and Lotus Green Construction Private Limited, in connection with the techie's death.

Inputs by Narendra Thakur