Mayor says CCTV footage of the store is being obtained and rescue teams are continuing their efforts
The search for a three-year-old boy who fell into an open sewer hole near Nipa Flyover late Sunday night entered its 14th hour on Monday, as rescue teams awaited heavy machinery and sewer maps needed to continue extraction work.
The child, identified as Ibrahim, son of Nabeel, slipped into the uncovered manhole in front of a department store around 11 p.m. The family had gone shopping when the boy ran ahead after freeing his hand. “It fell in front of me, the manhole was not covered and a motorbike was parked nearby,” the father said. The family resides in Shah Faisal Colony. Ibrahim was their only child.
Read: Open manholes endanger public safety
Rescue teams launched a search shortly after the incident, but later halted operations due to a lack of machinery.
They further added that they are still waiting for sewerage maps and pipeline routes to continue operations.
As the delay persisted, residents installed the machines themselves and began digging with community support.
The incident sparked protests in Nipa Chowrangi, where residents blocked the road, burned tires and suspended traffic towards Hassan Square.
Protesters threw stones at media crews, damaging several DSNG vans. Some protesters also attempted to arrest the demonstrators, with police remaining passive at the scene. The traffic police diverted the vehicles towards Rashid Minhas Road and Johar Mor.
Learn more: Open sewers become death traps in Karachi
Ibrahim’s grandfather, Mehmoodul Hasan, said the boy was the couple’s only son and expressed frustration at the slow response. The child’s mother reportedly lost consciousness after the incident.
Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab, speaking at the KMC Sports Complex on Monday, expressed sympathy for the child’s parents. “I would like to express my condolences and stand with the parents in this difficult time,” he said, adding that there should be no politics over the incident.
The mayor said CCTV footage of the store was being acquired and rescue teams were continuing their efforts. “The search for the child is still ongoing and we will help the family in any way we can,” he said.
Wahab added that the manhole did not have a cover and no prior complaints had been registered. Responding to criticism over the late availability of machines, he said the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) had been asked to investigate and “if any officer is found negligent, action will be taken”.
Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed also confirmed an investigation into the missing manhole cover, saying: “Action will be taken against the person responsible.”
Sindh government spokesperson Saadia Javed said an investigation had been ordered to find out why the manhole cover was missing, adding that action would be taken against those responsible.
Karachi Deputy Mayor Salman Murad said KMC, KWSC and SSWMB staff were alerted and tasked with locating the child as soon as possible.
MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar, who visited the site, accused the Karachi mayor of negligence, saying children, women, the elderly and young people risk being crushed under vehicles or drowning in drains.
He also criticized the provincial government for failing youth exams and denying them jobs while living in luxury. Talk to Express Newshe warned that public anger was boiling and could erupt at any time. Sattar noted that volunteers from Chhipa and Edhi were leading the rescue efforts and sarcastically suggested that the Water Corporation pass its responsibilities to them.
Hafiz Naeemur-Rehman, Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan, also condemned the authorities, holding the Water Board and the mayor of Karachi responsible for the child’s death. He said the administration had ignored the needs of the city’s 35 million residents and called on law enforcement to prevent such incidents.
