CHENNAI: Two men from Madhavaram were swept away in the Kosasthalaiyar River near Manali Newtown on Saturday evening while attempting to swim in the flooded waters.
According to police, Raja and Moorthy, both residents of Madhavaram, had reportedly drunk and jumped into the river near Edayanchavadi to compete in a swimming challenge.
Their friends, who were recording the incident on their mobile phones to post as a social media reel, witnessed the tragedy unfold.
At the time, surplus water from the Puzhal reservoir was being released into the river at about 500 cubic feet per second due to increased inflow over the past week.
The force of the water, which eventually drains into the sea through the Ennore estuary, caused strong currents in the river.
As the men struggled to swim against the current, they were quickly pulled under and swept away. Their friends immediately alerted the police.
The fire and rescue service personnel from Manali and Ambattur stations have been conducting search operations since 7 pm on Saturday and continued through the night. However, as of Sunday, the bodies have not yet been recovered.
The Manali Newtown police have registered a case and are conducting further investigations.