BELAGAVI, 6 DEC

A family from Bihar found themselves stranded for an entire night in a closed car deep within the thick forests of Khanapur taluk, after following directions provided by Google Maps on their trip to Goa.

The family, led by Rajdas Ranjitdas from Ujjayini, encountered difficulties after the GPS directed them down a route between Shirodaga and Hemmadaga villages, leading them about 7 kilometres into the Bhimghad wildlife zone. Despite travelling almost 8 kilometres into the jungle, they could not find their way back due to poor mobile network coverage and spent the night locked inside their car, fearful of the wildlife surroundings.

Khanapur police, led by Inspector Manjunath Nayak, managed to trace the family's location with the help of GPS technology and local villagers. After the family managed to regain a mobile signal and contacted the emergency services, the police were alerted. They quickly mobilised, relying on local hamlet dwellers who were familiar with the area to aid in the rescue operation.

Upon their rescue, Inspector Nayak noted that the family was fortunate to have escaped without encountering any wildlife, as the area is known to host dangerous animals. Recently, a local farmer reportedly lost a leg to a bear attack in the same vicinity.

The Ranjitdas family experienced immense fear during their night in the forest, opting to remain silent and keep their phones off to maintain darkness. This incident adds to a worrying trend, as just last month, three individuals tragically lost their lives in a separate incident involving reckless navigation through adverse conditions in Uttar Pradesh.  Salar News