Toddler chasing cat falls into 8-foot-deep gutter; entrepreneur among four reserved
GUJRAT:
A two-year-old boy died on Thursday after falling into an uncovered drain near his home in a private housing society in Sarai Alamgir, police said.
According to initial reports, the toddler had gone out of his house while chasing a cat when he accidentally fell into a nearby open gutter.
The sewer, said to be six to eight feet deep and filled with water, had been left without a protective fence during ongoing construction work in the area.
The child drowned on the spot before his family members could rescue him.
Rescue teams and police rushed to the scene after being alerted and recovered the body from the drains.
The deceased was shifted to Sarai Alamgir Hospital in Tehsil headquarters for legal formalities.
Police at Saddar Sarai Alamgir Police Station have registered a case under Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code regarding the complaint of the child’s uncle, Gul Manan Shehzad.
The FIR names the contractor and three others for alleged negligence.
However, no arrests had been made till the filing of this report.
Residents in the area expressed anger at what they called negligence in leaving sewers open and unattended in residential areas.
A few days earlier, a minor girl was injured after falling into a gutter in another incident in Sarai Alamgir.
Authorities said further investigation is underway.
Earlier on January 29, the body of a woman who, along with her daughter, had fallen into a drain hole near Bhati Gate in Lahore, was found. The minor’s body was found approximately 16 hours later.
DIG (operations) Lahore Faisal Kamran told The Express PK Press Club that the victim has been identified as 24-year-old Sadia.
He said the authorities concerned and emergency services carried out search operations along the route of the sewer line and at one point, they spotted the dead body. However, the search operation continued to find the child victim. The DIG said the body was found at Outfall Road, three kilometers from the said manhole, adding that the flow of sewage was so intense that it swept away the body.
He said a high-level committee had been formed to probe the incident, adding that the investigating agency would submit its findings soon. He further said that heads of all authorities concerned are currently on the ground to inspect the process, on the directives of the Punjab Chief Minister.
