“Khuda ke liye mera bacha bacha lo (For God’s sake, save my child),” cried a distraught mother after her three-year-old son, Ibrahim, fell into an open manhole and disappeared into sewage on Sunday night in Karachi.
Despite over 10 hours of search, rescue teams have been unable to recover the boy, who fell into a gutter near Nippa Chowrangi, partially covered with cardboard.
Reports indicate that Ibrahim was leaving a departmental store with his parents when he suddenly broke free and ran toward the manhole.
The family’s motorcycle was parked nearby.
Following the incident, angry residents blocked roads leading to Gulshan-e-Iqbal and set tyres on fire in protest.
The Deputy Mayor of Karachi, Salman Abdullah Murad, took notice of the incident, questioning why the manhole was left uncovered, and has ordered an impartial inquiry.
Spokesman of the Sindh government Sadia Javed said that due to maintenance work in the area, CCTV cameras were not functioning.
She assured that strict action would be taken against the persons who showed negligence and carelessness.
