CHENNAI: Two men who went for a dip in the Kosasthalaiyar River near Manali New Town were washed away on Saturday evening. The police along with the fire and rescue service personnel are conducting a rescue operation to locate them, a police source said.
According to the Manali New Town police, the missing men were identified as R Raja (52) of Madhavaram and D Krishnamoorthy (45) of Erukkanchery. Both of them are daily wage labourers.
They had gone to the river on Saturday evening along with three friends. All five of them went into the river and allegedly raced each other to the shore, sources said. While three of them made it to the shore safely, Raja and Krishnamoorthy must have got washed away by a strong current, police added.
On being informed, the police and fire and rescue personnel started a search which went on till Sunday evening.
“The search continued till late in the evening, but since it became dark, it has been put on hold. It will resume on Monday morning. It is yet to be ascertained whether the duo were in an inebriated state when they entered the river,” police said.