KARACHI – A three-year-old child fell into an open manhole near NIPA Chowrangi in Karachi’s Gulshan-e-Iqbal area on Sunday night, sparking protests by family and local residents.
The incident occurred around 11:00 pm, and rescue teams began searching for the child but were unsuccessful. The operation was temporarily halted due to a lack of necessary machinery, as the rescue teams did not have the required equipment for excavation.
Rescue officials reported that no machinery had been provided by any government agency, and there were no officials present at the scene. The initial machinery that was available had also left.
After the rescue operation was halted, local residents took matters into their own hands, bringing in heavy machinery to continue the excavation work.
The child, identified as Ibrahim, son of Nabeel, was shopping with his family at a departmental store when the incident occurred. According to the child’s father, after shopping, Ibrahim ran ahead and, while passing a parked motorcycle near the open manhole, fell into it. The father noted that the manhole cover was missing.
The child’s grandfather, Mahmood Hassan, explained that Ibrahim’s father was parking the motorcycle when the child followed him and fell into the open manhole. Ibrahim is the only child of his parents, and the family expressed dissatisfaction with the rescue efforts, demanding additional machinery and faster action.
The child’s mother, devastated by the incident, was reported to be in a critical emotional state after learning of her son’s fall.
Following the incident, angry citizens gathered at NIPA Chowrangi and staged a protest, burning tires and blocking roads. Protesters shut down the road leading from NIPA Chowrangi to Hassan Square, as well as roads leading to Karachi University and Gulshan Chowrangi. Protesters also pelted stones at a media van present at the scene.
In response to the incident, Sindh Government spokesperson Saadia Javed announced that an inquiry had been launched to determine why the manhole cover was missing. She assured that action would be taken against those found responsible for negligence.
