Family devastated as open manhole claims another child’s life

A heart-wrenching incident unfolded in the Shah Latif neighbourhood on Thursday when a four-year-old boy lost his life after falling into an open manhole.

The incident occurred at Sector 22-B in Shah Latif, raising questions about the district administration’s negligence, as claimed by the family of the deceased boy.

According to reports, Mohsin, aged four, went out on Wednesday to fetch something but failed to return home. His concerned parents initiated a search shortly after his disappearance. Despite extensive efforts, Mohsin could not be located.

During the search later, Mohsin’s aunt noticed his foot protruding from a gutter, prompting immediate action. After attempts to reach him with a stick and seeking assistance from nearby individuals, it was discovered that the child in the gutter was indeed Mohsin.

The boy had left home in the afternoon, and his body was found during Iftar time, marking a devastating turn of events for his family. He was the fifth among six siblings. The presence of open gutters throughout the area had raised concerns among residents, highlighting the urgent need for administrative intervention to prevent such tragedies.

Expressing their grief and frustration, Mohsin’s uncle emphasised the need for immediate action to close all open gutters and manholes in Shah Latif to prevent further loss of innocent lives.

Last year, a six-year-old boy had fallen down an open manhole in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. More than 10 months after the incident, an FIR has now been registered at the Aziz Bhatti police station on the complaint of the victim’s father Atif.

The case has been registered under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code against officials of the Karachi Water & Sewerage Corporation and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

According to the FIR, on May 6, 2023, Abiyan, son of Atifuddin, was playing cricket with his elder brother, 10-year-old Aaribuddin, and their neighbourhood friends in Block 13-D2, Rahman Square, Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

When their cricket ball went down the open manhole, Abiyan went to retrieve it. As he was standing near the manhole, he slipped and fell down into it. The complainant has held the relevant authorities responsible for the incident.