Noida witnessed a tragic incident on Friday night as a 27-year-old software engineer drowned.
After his SUV plunged into a flooded excavation pit in Sector 150, raising serious questions over civic negligence and delayed rescue efforts.
The victim, Yuvraj Mehta, was driving home from work shortly after midnight when his vehicle crashed through a damaged boundary wall amid dense fog and poor visibility, before falling into a water-filled pit nearly 70 feet deep. Mehta, who did not know how to swim, managed to escape the vehicle, climb onto its roof and repeatedly call his father and a close friend for help while struggling to stay afloat.
According to family members and eyewitnesses, rescue efforts were grossly inadequate and critically delayed. Mehta’s body and the submerged SUV were recovered nearly five hours later. Knowledge Park Police Station in-charge Sarvesh Kumar said the incident is under investigation and that any negligence found will invite legal action.
‘He kept pleading for help’
Mehta worked at Dunnhumby India, a data science firm based in Gurugram. He lived in Sector 150, and his father, Raj Kumar Mehta, reached the site within minutes after receiving a frantic phone call from his son.
“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,” Yuvraj said during his final call, his father recounted. Despite being at the site, the family and police were unable to locate him immediately due to thick fog and lack of lighting. They could hear his voice but could not see him.
According to Raj Kumar Mehta, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) arrived around 3 am. “It took them two hours to even prepare the rescue boat. By the time they went in, it was only to retrieve his body,” he told CNN-News18.
He alleged that authorities had only ropes that were too short to reach his son. “There was no proper equipment. I kept asking them to lower the rope. My son was conscious, cooperating, and fighting till the end. Help never reached him,” he said.
- Mehta was declared dead at the hospital.
- Eyewitnesses allege lack of preparedness
Pankaj Tokas, a close friend who reached the scene shortly after the accident, said police personnel admitted they did not know how to swim. “Cranes and ropes were brought, but no one entered the water. He stopped pleading for help around 2.30 am,” Tokas said.
A delivery executive, Moninder, who attempted a rescue, said he jumped into the pit without safety gear after seeing authorities hesitate.
“There were over 100 people present. The fire department had proper jackets and a crane. The man was alive then. He could have been saved,” Moninder said, adding that visibility was extremely poor but Yuvraj was continuously shouting for help.
Sources confirmed that while SDRF teams arrived, they lacked immediate access to adequate rescue equipment.
Known danger spot, residents say
Residents said the incident site was already known to be dangerous. Just 18 days earlier, a loaded truck had fallen into the same pit. Despite that, no concrete barrier, reflector or proper boundary wall was installed.
Locals claim they had repeatedly warned authorities and protested against the uncovered pit, which was dug as part of an ongoing project. Another protest is scheduled for later on Sunday.
Family seeks accountability
The family has filed a First Information Report (FIR), demanding accountability and immediate safety measures. “I have lost my only son. My daughter lives in the UK. My loss is beyond repair,” Raj Kumar Mehta said. “I only want authorities to ensure this never happens again.”
Police said the matter is under investigation.
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