They initially refused to go down the 10-foot manhole, but the chief inspector threatened to fire them. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
A five-year-old boy died after falling into an uncovered manhole in Lahore’s Sundar area on Tuesday, officials said.
The victim, identified as Hassan Amir, was playing on a street near the town of Rana, behind a mosque, when he accidentally fell into a drainage ditch, according to police and the child’s father. Residents rushed to the scene and managed to pull the child out before transporting him to hospital. However, doctors were unable to save his life.
Read: A child falls into a manhole
The boy’s father, Amir Jameel, filed a first information report (FIR) at Sundar police station under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which relates to qatl-bis-sabab (manslaughter).
“Around 6 p.m., my five-year-old son Hassan Amir, while playing in the street, fell into a pit,” the victim’s father said in the FIR, a copy of which is available from The Express PK Press Club. He said the child was rescued with the help of residents and taken to Indus Hospital, but later succumbed to injuries caused by the fall.
“The parties responsible for the death of my son are the administration concerned, the administration of the Atomic Energy Company (Maraka) and the management of the A&B Construction Company,” the complainant said, demanding legal action and justice.
Separately, police said an investigation had been opened to determine who was responsible for the child’s death and whether security measures had been ignored.
Superintendent of Police of Saddar Division Shah Rukh Khan visited the scene of the incident and offered condolences to the bereaved family.
Talk to The Express PK Press ClubDeputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Lahore Mohammad Faisal Kamran said investigations were underway from multiple angles and those found responsible would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The incident prompted residents to demand immediate measures to cover the uncovered manholes, saying they had become a persistent threat to the lives of citizens, especially children.
Read also: Family of Manhole victims in Punjab refuse to pursue case
Residents said precious lives were being lost due to negligence of relevant authorities and called for immediate and effective measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
The tragedy revived memories of a similar incident in January this year, when a woman and her child died after falling into a drain near Bhati Gate in Lahore.
A similar incident was reported a month later in the Raiwind district, where a two-and-a-half-year-old child died after falling into an open manhole.
The incidents were not limited to the Punjab capital as such events took place frequently in Karachi, leading to the death of several people, including children.
One of the worst incidents was reported from Karachi last year, when three-year-old Ibrahim fell into an open sewer hole near the Nipa flyover in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. His body was found 15 hours later in a manhole near Sir Syed University on University Road, sparking widespread outrage.
