A 27-year-old software engineer died after his car plunged into a water-filled basement of an under-construction building in Sector 150, Noida, with his family and eyewitnesses alleging that he remained trapped for nearly two hours without a timely rescue.
The victim, Yuvraj Mehta, was driving late at night when his vehicle reportedly broke through the boundary wall of a roadside drain and fell into a submerged basement area. The incident occurred around midnight. Mehta managed to call his father immediately after the accident, informing him that his car had fallen into a drain.
His father rushed to the spot but claimed that, despite police presence, immediate help could not be arranged due to the absence of trained swimmers and rescue equipment. Eyewitnesses said Mehta remained conscious for a long duration, repeatedly crying out for help while trapped inside the vehicle.
According to police, Mehta lived with his father in a high-rise apartment in Sector 150 and worked as a software engineer in Gurugram. An eyewitness at the scene said the victim pleaded for help for nearly one hour and forty-five minutes before falling silent.
Police said Mehta was driving a Grand Vitara and lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a turn. The car struck the boundary wall of a drain, which was reportedly damaged at multiple points, before plunging into the waterlogged basement.
Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force, the state disaster response force, and the fire department were eventually called in. Officials said the rescue operation continued for several hours, and the body was recovered early in the morning.
Friends of the deceased alleged that the response was delayed, claiming that rescue teams arrived much later and entered the water only after considerable time had passed. Fire department officials, however, said teams remained at the site until around 5 am.
Preliminary investigations suggest low visibility and speeding as possible causes of the accident. Police noted that the drain was six to seven feet wide and poorly visible at night. The victim&rsquo;s father, in his complaint, alleged that residents had earlier requested the Noida Authority to install barricades and reflectors near the drain, but no preventive measures were taken.
Police said the body has been sent for post-mortem examination. While no formal case has been registered yet, authorities plan to send a memorandum to the Noida Authority. The submerged vehicle was also washed away after the recovery, and efforts to retrieve it are ongoing.

27-year-old trapped for nearly two hours as rescue delay sparks questions

Man Drowns After Car Falls in Drain

27-year-old trapped for nearly two hours as rescue delay sparks questions

January 18, 2026 | 06:03 IST