KARACHI – Heart-wrenching CCTV footage has emerged showing a three-year-old boy, Ibrahim, falling into an open manhole outside a departmental store near NIPA Chowrangi. The footage, obtained by ARY News, shows the child exiting the store and walking across the parking area before suddenly plunging into the uncovered manhole situated just a few steps from the staircase.
The incident occurred on Sunday, and the toddler’s body was recovered the following day.
Footage Shows No Safety Measures
The video clearly shows no barrier, cover, or warning sign around the manhole. Moments after the child falls, his mother is seen rushing toward the spot, screaming for help as bystanders gather.
Rescuer Tanveer Recounts the Moment
Local resident Tanveer, who recovered Ibrahim’s body, spoke to ARY News:
- He said the area became crowded as people desperately searched for the child.
- Since the drainage system split into three directions, he checked the point with the strongest water flow.
- There, he spotted the child’s foot inside the drain and climbed down to pull him out “with great difficulty.”
Tanveer said he refused to hand the body to the police, insisting he would return the child only to his grieving parents.
Political Uproar and Blame Game
The tragedy immediately triggered political outrage in the Sindh Assembly.
- JI’s Muhammad Farooq Sattar demanded Mayor Murtaza Wahab’s resignation, calling it proof of the “collapse of civic services.”
- MQM-P’s Taha Ahmed criticized the city’s failure to maintain basic civic infrastructure.
- Opposition parties—PTI, MWM, GDA and others—uniformly blamed the PPP-led provincial government for “criminal negligence.”
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon admitted it was a case of “criminal negligence” and offered condolences to the family.
Mayor Orders Inquiry
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab defended his administration but ordered:
- A full investigation
- Retrieval of store CCTV footage
- Citywide inspection of manholes via KWSC
Government spokesperson Saadia Javed said action will be taken against those responsible. She added that official documents show this particular manhole had already been declared hazardous in October, weeks before the incident—but no action was taken.
