Tragedy struck Chennai and its surrounding areas on New Year’s Day, with nine fatalities reported from separate accidents and incidents. Seven victims died in road accidents, while two twin brothers tragically drowned off the coast of Kalpakkam.

In Chetpet, 30-year-old Deepak Garg, a cook, lost control of his bike and fell in the Gengu Reddy subway, suffering fatal head injuries. His pillion rider, R Babu, survived with injuries. In another road accident on East Coast Road, 19-year-old L Sarukesh, a hotel management student, died after crashing into a parked tanker lorry while returning from a celebration. His friend, J Sanjay, sustained injuries.

Elsewhere, a man from Bihar, speeding on OMR, lost control of his bike and died in Kelambakkam. A teenager, J Nitish, also died after losing control of his vehicle near Sithalapakkam. A 55-year-old man was killed by an unidentified vehicle while crossing Velachery Road near Pallikaranai at 1:30 AM.

In Kalpakkam, twins Nivas and Nithish, aged 16, drowned while visiting Mamallapuram. Their family had stopped by Kalpakkam when the tragedy occurred. Additionally, an elderly man was run over in Guduvanchery, and a woman, Suchitra, was killed in a truck-bike collision on the Padi flyover.