Documents reveal Karachi authorities overlooked warning weeks before Ibrahim’s death

KARACHI: A tragic incident unfolded near Nipa Chowrangi after a three-year-old boy, Ibrahim, fell into an open manhole and died, a disaster that could have been prevented. Documents now reveal that the Union Committee (UC) Chairman of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town had formally alerted authorities weeks earlier about the same hazard.

The UC Chairman raised the complaint during a meeting held at the BRT office, specifically requesting that proper lids and ring slabs be installed on the manholes along University Road in Karachi. However, the committee allegedly ignored UC Chairman Riaz Azhar’s request, the documents reveal.

Despite the formal complaint, no action was taken throughout October, UC Chairman Riaz Azhar confirmed. He added that when he followed up on the matter, he was informed that the contractor had refused to continue further work.

Authorities are now facing serious questions about negligence and failure to act on repeated warnings, negligence that has now resulted in the tragic loss of a child’s life.

Earlier, the funeral prayer for three-year-old Ibrahim was held in Shah Faisal Colony, Sector 5, Karachi.

Ibrahim’s body was recovered 15 hours after the incident. The three-year-old had fallen into the open manhole on Sunday night around 11 pm while accompanying his family to a departmental store. Rescue personnel immediately launched a search operation but were initially unable to locate him, leading to a temporary suspension of official rescue efforts.

Local residents stepped in to assist, bringing in heavy machinery and continuing excavation work at the site. According to reports, a trash picker boy claimed that he personally retrieved Ibrahim’s body from the drain and handed it over to police, adding a heartbreaking detail to the tragic incident.

The funeral prayer was attended by prominent figures, including Munim Zafar, Karachi head of Jamaat-e-Islami, and Member of the Provincial Assembly from MQM-P, Shariq Jamal.

Authorities have urged caution around uncovered manholes across Karachi, highlighting the need for urgent measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.