Several senior officials from Karachi’s civic and administrative departments have been suspended after a three year-old boy, Ibrahim, tragically fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi. The Sindh Local Government Department issued suspension orders for officers from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), District Municipal Corporation, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), and the Assistant Commissioner’s office.
Those suspended include KMC Senior Director Municipal Services Imran Rajput, Gulshan-e-Iqbal TMC Assistant Engineer Rashid Fayyaz, KWSB Executive Engineer Waqar Ahmed, Assistant Commissioner Amir Ali Shah, and Mukhtiarkar Salman Farsi. They have been reassigned to various departments during their suspension period but will continue receiving salaries as per rules.
The action came on the directives of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah after the child’s body was found 14 hours later near Sir Syed University. The boy fell into the sewer late Sunday night while walking with his mother outside a departmental store.
Blame Game Begins, BRT Rejects Allegations
In its report, the KMC accused the Red Line BRT project and the nearby store, Chase Up, of damaging the drainage system due to ongoing construction.
However, the BRT authorities firmly rejected the claims, calling them a “serious oversight.” They clarified that the incident location was far from any BRT activity, no digging or construction was happening nearby, and the drainage system was not under their responsibility. The project team extended condolences to the family and said it follows strict safety standards set by the Asian Development Bank.
Mayor Apologises as Family Demands Prevention
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited Ibrahim’s home, apologising to the grieving family and calling the incident “unbearable and shameful.” The family said they only hope the government prevents similar tragedies in the future.
Wahab highlighted the city’s overwhelming infrastructure issues, noting that Karachi has around 245,000 manhole covers, with 88,000 replaced in the last year.
Moments of Panic, Delayed Rescue Efforts
Ibrahim fell into the manhole around 11pm while walking ahead of his mother between parked motorcycles. His body travelled nearly half a kilometre through multiple sewage channels. Locals and volunteers tried to help but rescue efforts were delayed due to lack of machinery and sewerage maps.
The family even spent Rs15,000 on private excavation when rescue work slowed down. Heavy machinery from BRT arrived almost 16 hours later to break the main line for recovery.
Inquiry Committee Formed
A committee formed by the Sindh Chief Minister visited the site along with the AC and police officials. It inspected the spot where Ibrahim fell and the location where his body was recovered. The committee will determine the cause of the tragedy and submit its report to the chief minister.
