Five members of a family, including two children, were rescued on Sunday after falling into an open drain in Korangi’s Mehran Town area, according to Rescue 1122 officials.
A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said the Central Command and Control received the alert and immediately dispatched a water rescue team and trained divers to the site.
The rescue team carried out a rapid operation and rescued all five affected individuals, who were heading to attend a wedding ceremony,” he said.
The spokesperson said all affected individuals were rescued and taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre by ambulance for medical treatment.
However, one of the women rescued from the drain was reported to be in critical condition, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson told that four people – two women and children – were on their way to attend the wedding ceremony. Upon reaching the corner of the street to board the bus, they ascended over a rain drain near the mosque covered with slabs; however, it could not bear their weight, and all four persons fell into it.
A male family member, who rushed to the spot and jumped into the drain to rescue the women and children, was also swept away.
The spokesperson said that the drain was around 50-100 feet deep.
Karachi Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad also took notice of the incident and confirmed the rescue of all five family members. He further said that all affected individuals were taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
The statement from his office said that an immediate rescue operation was launched at the site on the directives of the deputy mayor.
“The affected individuals were safely pulled out of the drain,” it said.
He said Rescue 1122 teams were promptly dispatched to the location and carried out the operation efficiently.
Murad added that the protection of human lives was the top priority of the city administration and appreciated the timely coordination and cooperation of emergency response agencies during the incident.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser for Rehabilitation Department Giyan Chand Essrani took immediate notice of a tragic incident in Korangi’s Mehran Town and stated that the protection of human lives remains the government’s top priority.
The incident occurred when a family was on its way to attend a wedding and was attempting to board a bus. Due to an open stormwater drain along the footpath, two women and two children fell into the drain, estimated to be about 100 feet deep. On hearing their cries, the head of the family, Azam Khan, jumped into the drain in an attempt to rescue them, bringing the total number of victims to five.
Essrani said that upon receiving information, Rescue 1122 and the district administration responded promptly and professionally. A water rescue team, along with trained divers and modern equipment, safely retrieved all the victims.
The injured included the family head Azam Khan, a woman identified as Bibi Shamim, a child named Usman, and two other individuals. After being provided first aid at the scene, four of the injured were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for further treatment. Fortunately, no loss of life was reported.
Commending the timely response and coordination of Rescue 1122, the city administration and other emergency services, the chief minister’s adviser said the Sindh government was continuously working to strengthen emergency response mechanisms in order to prevent such incidents in the future.