CCTV footage shows how manhole cover went missing days before Ibrahim’s death

KARACHI: Fresh CCTV footage has revealed how the manhole near Karachi’s NIPA Chowrangi became uncovered days before three-year-old Ibrahim fell into it and died, prompting renewed questions over negligence and enforcement, ARY News reported.

The CCTV footage shows the manhole cover fully intact outside the store in Karachi before several dumpers passed through the road on the night of 29 November. At around 2 am, a heavy dumper drove directly over the manhole.

The pressure of the vehicle forced the cover downwards, causing it to fall inside the chamber. The CCTV footage clearly captures the moment the lid sinks out of sight.

This second clip emerged after an earlier CCTV video showed the heart-wrenching moment when three-year-old Ibrahim slipped into the open manhole. Together, the recordings are now central to multiple ongoing investigations in Karachi.

According to store management, the DVR timestamp is out of sync, and the footage may actually be from four days before the incident, meaning the manhole may have remained uncovered for days. Authorities in Karachi have not yet assigned full responsibility, but the footage indicates indirect negligence by the dumper driver.

The CCTV footage also shows the dumper driving on the wrong side of the road, a violation frequently observed on Karachi’s major routes. The vehicle appears to be travelling in the wrong direction on the NIPA–Hasan Square stretch, raising concerns about traffic monitoring, especially during late-night hours when heavy vehicles commonly violate restrictions.

After the CCTV footage surfaced, several failures have come to light: the wrong-way movement of the dumper, the immediate disappearance of the manhole cover, and the fact that it was not replaced for several days.

The tragedy has left Ibrahim’s parents devastated, while citizens across Karachi continue demanding accountability for what many describe as a preventable loss caused by sheer negligence.