New Delhi (Sputnik): An Indian magician is feared to have died in West Bengal state while trying to emulate a stunt of famous American illusionist Harry Houdini in a river.
The 40-year-old magician — Chanchal Lahiri — was trying to redo a stunt on Sunday in the Ganges river. He was tied up with iron chains and rope, just as he was lowered into the river with the help of a crane, he failed to free himself and pop up out of it.
The tragic incident occurred as shocked family members, media, and police watched from the banks.
Local police authorities subsequently launched a search for him, but haven't had any success as of yet.
"We tried to spot him. But it seems the stream has swept him away. Our divers dived deep but could not locate him", the police search and rescue team was quoted as saying by NDTV news channel.
Lahiri's family members are still looking for him, hoping for his miraculous survival, reported AFP.
Prior to the stunt, Lahiri, who was known by his various stage names like "Wizard Madrake" and "Jadugar Mandrak" had reportedly said that the act was tough and he would find it difficult to free himself from the chains.
"If I do it right, it's magic. If I make a mistake, it becomes tragic", Lahiri reportedly told the media before the stunt.
Meanwhile, twitter users in different parts of the world are expressing shock at the incident.