Child Falls into Open Manhole in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Search Operation Continues

Karachi: Rescue teams continued their search on Monday for a three-year-old child who fell into an open manhole near NIPA in Gulshan-e-Iqbal on Sunday night.

Following the incident, protests erupted in the area, causing major traffic disruptions. According to traffic police, University Road near the NIPA flyover was closed, and traffic was diverted towards Rashid Minhas Road and Johar Mor.

Videos circulating on social media showed a large number of citizens gathered at the scene. In one widely shared clip, the child’s grief-stricken mother can be heard pleading for help to save her son.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassan-ul-Haq Haseeb Khan told Dawn that their Central Command received information about the incident at around 10:00 pm on Sunday. He said the child had stepped outside an outlet of a private departmental store near NIPA after shopping with his parents when he fell into the open manhole.

The spokesperson explained that rescue teams usually avoid conducting search operations at night due to visibility challenges. However, considering the agitated crowd at the site and the condition of the parents, the search operation was launched immediately despite the darkness. Even so, no trace of the child was found.

He said the search continued late into the night before being temporarily suspended. So far, excavation has been carried out at five locations with the help of heavy machinery. Rescue teams have also requested an underground sewerage map from the relevant authorities to accurately identify water inflow and outflow points and narrow down the search area.

Karachi Mayor Appeals Against Politicising the Tragedy

Speaking to the media, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said that an investigation into the incident would be conducted but urged that the tragedy should not be given a political colour.

He said that blame-shifting usually begins immediately after such incidents, whereas there is a need to rise above politics and focus on finding solutions. The mayor questioned how long the open manhole had existed at such a busy location and who was responsible for it.

He assured that strict action would be taken if any negligence on the part of government officials was established. He also said the chairman of the relevant union council would be asked whether the open manhole had been officially reported.

Repeated Incidents Raise Alarm

Such incidents, caused by open manholes and a dilapidated sewerage system, have occurred repeatedly in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi.

• In September, three sanitation workers died after falling into a manhole during cleaning operations in Usmanabad.
• In May, a six-year-old child drowned after falling into an open manhole, sparking protests and leading to the registration of a police case.
• In April, the body of a young girl was recovered from a drain in Liaquatabad.

Citizens say that open manholes, broken covers and the deteriorating sewerage system have become life-threatening hazards, and addressing them is an urgent responsibility of the authorities.