New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) A tragic accident in Noida’s Sector-150 claimed the life of a young software engineer after his car went through a broken boundary wall in the fog at night and plunged into a water-filled ditch. The deceased has been identified as Yuvraj Mehta, son of Rajkumar Mehta, who has alleged serious negligence on the part of the Noida Authority. According to the family, the incident occurred near the Sector-150 turn in the Knowledge Park area amid dense fog and low visibility. Yuvraj reportedly lost control of his vehicle, which crashed into an unbarricaded, waterlogged construction pit estimated to be nearly 70 feet deep.

Recalling the harrowing moments, Yuvraj’s father Rajkumar Mehta said his son called him immediately after the accident, pleading for help. “Just after falling into the pit, Yuvraj immediately called and said, 'Papa, save me, I have fallen into a drain.' Then I ran to help him. When I came out, no vehicles were there. Then luckily one cab was found and I requested him to take me to the location. I did not find him there. I called him, then I came to know that he fell near a pit of our society. Reaching there, I asked for police help and the NDRF team arrived,” he said.

“Certainly, this happened because of negligence of Noida Authority who did not take proper measures to prevent such incidents,” he added. Rajkumar Mehta further alleged that his son struggled for nearly two hours trying to stay alive. Yuvraj reportedly climbed onto the roof of the partially submerged car and used his mobile phone’s flashlight to signal his location in the thick fog, while repeatedly calling for help. However, the lack of proper rescue equipment delayed efforts to pull him out. Police from the Knowledge Park police station, fire brigade teams, SDRF, and later the NDRF were involved in the rescue operation, which stretched for nearly four-and-a-half hours. During the initial phase, Yuvraj was seen intermittently standing on top of the car, switching on his mobile torch and shouting for help.

However, darkness, dense fog and near-zero visibility hampered rescue efforts. Police and fire personnel refrained from entering the water, citing freezing conditions and the risk posed by under-construction columns inside the basement. Finally, in a desperate rescue attempt, a Flipkart delivery agent named Moninder tied a rope around his waist and jumped into the ditch, but the depth of the pit, poor visibility made the rescue impossible. Moninder said several people attempted to locate Yuvraj in the water but were unsuccessful. “…I searched in the water for 30–40 minutes, but I could not find him. By the time I reached here, he had already drowned. I was late. Before me, more than 100 people were already here…” he said.

Yuvraj Mehta, a native of Sitamarhi district in Bihar, worked as a software engineer with Dunnhumby in Gurugram. His mother passed away two years ago, and his sister currently lives in the United Kingdom. Residents and family members alleged that the accident site lacked proper barricading, warning signs, and adequate lighting, raising serious safety concerns. Authorities have yet to issue a detailed response, as calls for accountability and improved infrastructure safety grow following the fatal incident.