Five teens washed away in Kanchi floods

According to police sources, most deaths were reported on Friday when the district received a massive 32 cm rainfall within 24 hours flooding all low lying areas. In all the cases at Kancheepuram, the youngsters were washed away by floods.

Two of the teenagers were brothers Sarath Kumar (19), studying in an Arts College and Sathish Kumar (16). They went along with their father when they heard about a lake near their town overflowing due to rain. When the father suddenly slipped into the lake, the sons jumped in to save him. The father managed to hold on to a tree but the sons drowned.

After a day and night search, the fire department found both the bodies.

Another two teenagers hailing from Sriperumbudur, Manikandan (16) and Lokanathan (14) were washed away when a lake near their home overflowed after nine years and the boys had gone to witness the scene. However, the bodies have not been found.

Murali, 20, a student studying in Saveetha Engineering College also drowned in a similar way. One woman died and another two were injured after being among the spectators, who had gone to see the lakes overflow.

The Kancheepuram district collector has advised residents to stay indoors and not go to such dangerous places and also advised parents to not allow their children to go near any water bodies.