An elderly man died after falling into a drain near the Kabaddi Ground in Korangi No.03, within the limits of the Korangi police station, Karachi, police and rescue officials said on Tuesday. According to initial reports, he was walking along the roadside while pushing a bicycle loaded with goods when he lost his balance and fell into the drain, losing his life soon after.
Family members said that after offering Maghrib prayers around 6.15pm on Tuesday, Kale Khan was heading home with his bicycle when he slipped and fell into the drain. When he failed to return home for some time, his children went searching for him. Due to the absence of streetlights, the area was dark. They first found his bicycle on the road and later recovered his body from the drain.
CCTV footage of the incident later surfaced on social media, showing him walking near the edge of the road moments before he slipped into the uncovered drain. His body lay there, unnoticed, as traffic passed by him. The video has been widely circulated since then, triggering criticism over poor safety measures and overall urban negligence.
His body was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for legal formalities.
Chhipa welfare sources identified the deceased as Kaale Khan, son of Muhammad Aslam. He was aged around 70, a resident of Zaman Town, Sector 34/3, and was the father of three children.
Funeral prayers were offered on Wednesday after Zuhr prayers at Jamia Masjid Umar Farooq in Korangi Sector 35, followed by burial at the Noorani Goth cemetery in Korangi No. 1. A significant number of family members and area residents attended his funeral prayers.
Residents said the area has numerous uncovered gutters and drains, with no protective walls in place, and that the road remains deserted at night due to frequent accidents.
They added that a school for persons with disabilities is located near the drain, and during a recent visit by the Chief Minister, the drain was temporarily covered with screens to conceal it. Despite submitting multiple applications to authorities regarding open drains, no action has been taken.
The family of the deceased has demanded justice from senior officials.
Read: Toddler’s body recovered after falling into manhole near Nipa flyover, Karachi
Preliminary information suggests the accident occurred due to the absence of a protective wall around the drain. Authorities said further proceedings were underway.
This news occurs as the latest in the series of deaths caused by open drains and manholes in Karachi. 3-year-old Ibrahim died in a manhole near Nipa Chowrangi, his body recovered by Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) rescue teams near Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology on December 1, 2025.
The manhole was located directly in front of Karachi’s Chase Up Centre, a two-by-two-foot uncovered gutter with no protective cover or barrier for pedestrians.
According to an Edhi Foundation spokesperson, the number of people who have lost their lives after falling into open gutters and drains in Karachi this year has reached 24, including six boys and three girls.
