Body of Chennai ex-mayor Saidai Duraisamy's son recovered from Satluj river 8 days after accident

The tragic incident involving the former mayor of Chennai Saidai Duraisamy's son, Vetri Duraisamy (45), has concluded with the recovery of his body from the Satluj river, nearly 3 kilometers away from the accident site. 

The incident unfolded on February 4 near Kashang Nallah in Himachal's Kinnaur district, when the vehicle Vetri was traveling in veered off the road and plunged 200 meters into the Satluj river. Despite concerted efforts by authorities and local residents, Vetri remained missing until his body was discovered by divers from the Mahun Nag Association, Sundernagar (Mandi), around 2 pm on Monday.

Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Sharma confirmed the recovery of Vetri's body and announced that it would undergo a post-mortem examination at the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital (IGMCH), Shimla, before being handed over to the bereaved family members.

The agonizing wait for news about Vetri's fate prompted his father, Saidai Duraisamy, to offer a reward of ₹1 crore to anyone who could locate his son. 

The ill-fated vehicle, en route from Shimla to Kaza, met with the tragic accident, resulting in the loss of Vetri's life and causing serious injuries to one of the three tourists, Gopinath from Tamil Nadu. The driver, identified as Tanjin, tragically lost his life in the incident, his body recovered a day after the accident.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, a coordinated search operation involving Kinnaur police, ITBP, NDRF, SDRF, Home Guards, and divers from the Mahun Nag Association was launched to locate Vetri. The utilization of drones further bolstered the search efforts, reflecting the comprehensive approach adopted to trace the missing individual.