After 15 hours of search, the body of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into a manhole near Nipa Chowrangi, was recovered by Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) rescue teams near Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology on Monday. The boy’s body had traveled nearly half a kilometre downstream.
Ibrahim, son of Nabeel, slipped into the manhole outside a departmental store at around 11pm on Sunday. The family had been shopping when the boy ran ahead after pulling his hand free. The family resides in Shah Faisal Colony. Ibrahim was their only child.
The child’s grandfather, Mehmoodul Hasan, received the body. Ibrahim’s mother reportedly fell unconscious after the incident. Locals and volunteers joined the rescue efforts, expressing frustration at delays caused by the unavailability of machinery and sewerage maps.
Rescue teams initially began searching for the child but halted operations due to lack of equipment. Residents later arranged machinery themselves to continue excavation work.
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The incident prompted protests at Nipa Chowrangi, where residents blocked the road, burned tyres, and halted traffic towards Hassan Square. Some protesters damaged media vans and attempted to stop office-goers, while police diverted traffic to nearby roads.
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.
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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, criticized 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.
