.Authorities in India believe the stuntman who went missing after being lowered into a river while tied up with chains and ropes in a Houdini-inspired stunt is feared drowned.

40-year-old Chanchal Lahiri, known by his stage name ‘Jadugar Mandrake’ (Wizard Mandrake), was lowered into the river by a crane on Sunday as family members, media and police watched on.
Before his trick, he said: ‘If I can free myself it will be magic, if I cannot it will be tragic.’ But the 40-year-old failed to emerge from the water, sparking an immediate search by authorities.
Rescue workers have been scouring the fast-flowing murky waters since Sunday but he is yet to be found, said Syed Waquar Raza of the river traffic police.
‘We fear he drowned in the river,’ he said.