CHENNAI: A car was washed away in the surplus following the excess discharge from Chembarambakkam lake at midnight. Mohamed Rabik (43) of Hastinapuram was travelling in his car with his wife and daughter at midnight when the Tharaipakkam Road began flooding.

He didn’t realise that the surplus water from Chembarambakkam lake was being discharged at the time. Thinking that the water level would not be deep, he accelerated the vehicle and kept going. Within a short time, Rabik could not control the car.

The force of the water kept pushing the vehicle into the bushes which were 50 metres away from the road. After a few minutes, the public noticed a car was stuck in the flood and alerted the rescue team.

However, before the rescue team arrived at the spot, police from Kundrathur and Mangadu stations had begun the rescue operation. They managed to reach the car with the help of rope, first rescued Rabik’s daughter and then the couple.