‘No divers, people filmed’: Noida techie’s death raises questions over rescue response

Dubai: A father’s anguished account of his son’s final moments has sparked fresh outrage over safety lapses and emergency response in Noida, after a 27-year-old software engineer drowned when his car plunged into a water-filled excavation pit just kilometres from the national capital.

Indian media reports said Yuvraj Mehta, a tech professional working in Gurugram, was returning home late on the night of January 16–17 when his car skidded off the road near Sector 150 in Greater Noida and fell into a deep, unbarricaded pit at a construction site.

Dense fog had reduced visibility to near zero as a severe cold wave gripped Delhi and its surrounding regions.

Yuvraj’s father, Rajkumar Mehta, alleged grave administrative negligence, saying the absence of trained divers and slow rescue efforts cost his son his life.

“He was alive for nearly two hours,” the father told reporters, alleging that while people gathered at the spot, many recorded videos instead of helping.

“There were no divers. My son was crying out for help. He struggled for his life.”

Speaking to news agency ANI, he said officials present at the scene were ill-equipped to rescue Yuvraj, and demanded strict action to prevent such tragedies.

Family members and eyewitnesses told Indian media that after the crash, Yuvraj managed to climb onto the roof of his partially submerged car and repeatedly called out for help, even switching on his phone’s flashlight to signal passers-by as the vehicle slowly sank.

NDTV reported that Yuvraj was less than a kilometre from his home in Tata Eureka Park when tragedy struck. He immediately called his father in panic, saying his car had fallen into a ditch.

Rajkumar Mehta alerted the emergency helpline around 12.30am. Police records cited by NDTV show that the local Knowledge Park police station was informed at 12.41am, and police and fire brigade teams reached the spot by around 12.50am.

Rescue teams from the State Disaster Response Force arrived at 1.15am, followed by the National Disaster Response Force at 1.55am.

Multiple reports said Yuvraj kept asking for help for nearly 90 minutes, before his cries fell silent. His body was recovered around 4.30am.

The delay and manner of the rescue have triggered sharp questions. Some eyewitnesses alleged that responders hesitated to enter the pit due to iron rods jutting out from the under-construction site.

Police have rejected claims of negligence. According to PTI, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Rajeev Narayan Mishra said teams used a crane, ladder, makeshift boat and searchlights, but dense fog and poor visibility severely hampered rescue efforts.

Earlier, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hemant Upadhyay told Hindustan Times that the depth of the water and darkness made it unsafe for rescuers to jump in, warning that more lives could have been lost.

Yuvraj’s father, however, insisted that timely intervention by trained divers could have saved his son.

“Visibility was very low. When I called him, he switched on his phone’s torch. We could see a faint light from the water,” he said, according to NDTV. “They threw ropes, but it didn’t work. If expert divers had gone in, my son could have been saved.”

Adding to the anguish, Hindustan Times reported that a truck had met with a similar accident at the same spot days earlier, but authorities failed to install barricades, warning signs or reflectors.

One man who tried to help was Mohinder, an e-commerce delivery partner. He told Indian media that he jumped into the pit after tying a rope around his waist, but arrived minutes too late.

“They told me he stopped shouting just five minutes before I reached,” Mohinder said. “That turn is so dangerous that anyone unfamiliar with the area will fall in during fog. There isn’t even a wall.”

The Noida Authority has said an investigation is underway to determine responsibility for the site and road conditions. Hindustan Times quoted officials as saying the road runs through a partially developed sector.

For Yuvraj’s family, however, the answers come too late.

“He was so close to home,” his father said. “He kept waiting for help.”