The body of three-year-old boy Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole near Nipa flyover in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area was recovered by rescue officials on Monday after a 15-hour-long operation.
The child went missing late Sunday night after he fell into the uncovered manhole near a departmental store where he came with his family for shopping.
Rescue teams located the dead body in a drain approximately one kilometre from the incident site. The body was recovered around 15 hours after the accident.
“Khuda ke liye mera bacha bacha lo (For God’s sake, save my child),” cried the hysterical mother after her little son fell into the open manhole and disappeared into sewage on Sunday night in Karachi.
Despite the passage of hours, rescue teams failed to recover three-year-old boy, Ibrahim, who fell into the open gutter covered with a cardboard near Nippa Chowrangi in Karachi.
According to details, Ibrahim along with his family was coming out of a departmental store along with his parents when he suddenly broke free from his parents’ hands and ran away.
Sindh Senior Minister and Provincial Minister for Information, Transport, and Mass Transit, Sharjeel Inam Memon, expressed his condolences over the tragic incident of a child falling into an open manhole. He said that everyone is deeply saddened by this tragedy, and they share the grief of the bereaved family.
Speaking during a session of the Sindh Assembly, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that such an incident could have happened to anyone, and it was heartbreaking to see the picture of the innocent child. He added that he had discussed the matter with the Minister for Rehabilitation. As soon as the incident occurred, rescue teams reached the spot, and all the images of the rescue operation are available.
Meanwhile, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab expressed condolences to the family and said CCTV footage from the store was being obtained. He added that rescue efforts had been ongoing and that the manhole had no cover. Wahab stated that the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) had been instructed to investigate, and action would be taken if any negligence was found.
Sindh government spokesperson Saadia Javed confirmed an inquiry into the missing manhole cover and said action would be taken against those responsible.
Political leaders, including MQM’s Dr Farooq Sattar and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Hafiz Naeemur-Rehman, criticised the authorities, holding the mayor and Water Board responsible for the incident. They highlighted safety risks to children and residents due to uncovered manholes and drains.