CHENNAI: A car was washed away in the flooded Kosasthalai river near Tiruttani from which villagers managed to pull out everyone except a septuagenarian, in neighbouring Tiruvallur district, on Tuesday.
Gajendran, of Avadi, along with his four-year-old son, relatives Kothandapani (70), Eswaramma, Manoharan and Munusamy, were on their way to a temple from Nallathoor in Andhra Pradesh, in a car, when the incident took place.
The causeway bridge on the river between NN Kandigai and Nemili in Kanakamma Chatram had been closed for traffic due to flooding on Monday night. Even as the causeway bridge was submerged, traffic was allowed after the water level had dipped from the wee hours on Tuesday.
Later in the day, the car in which Gajendran’s family was forced to stop after the bus which was ahead applied sudden brakes, around 9.30 am. As the flow was heavy, the car was pulled off into the flood. Onlookers and villagers leaped into the flood and followed the car. The self-activated rescue team managed to pull out everyone except Kothandapani.
Speaking to Express, KK Chatram Police Inspector (in-charge) Jayasinghan said the family has lodged a complaint seeking to trace the missing person. “We have sent our rescue team which was not able to locate the car so far,” he said. State police sources said the death toll due to rains have reached 178 while a total of 23 have died in Kancheepuram alone while Chennai accounted for at least deaths since Monday night.