CHENNAI: Two youths - gana singers, were hacked to death near Manimangalam during the early hours of Sunday by a six member gang allegedly over previous enmity.

A friend of the deceased youths survived with injuries, police said.

The deceased are identified as Bharath (25) and Seenu (24), residents of Varadharajapuram near Padappai.

Police said that duo were gana singers who performed at concerts in and around Chennai. On Saturday night, the duo performed at a concert near Padappai. After the event, instead of returning home, they went to stay at the house of their friend, Lokesh in Ammanampakkam near Manimangalam, probe revealed.

Early Sunday mroning, six unidentified men arrived on three two-wheelers, broke open the door, and barged into the house. The gang first tried to attack Lokesh, who screamed and fled from the spot, escaping the assailants.

The attackers then turned on Bharath and Seenu, who were trapped inside. Armed with sickles and machetes, the gang hacked them indiscriminately before fleeing. Bharath died inside the house while Seenu collapsed in a pool of blood at the doorway. Both died on the spot, police said.

On information, Manimangalam police rushed to the scene, recovered the bodies, and sent them to the Tambaram Government Hospital for post-mortem.

Police have registered a case and are investigating.

Further inquiries are on to identify the six assailants and establish the motive behind the murders.