FIR lodged against contractor over Lahore mishap

LAHORE: A man fell into an open manhole in Rasool Park, Shahdara Lahore, inducing serious action from the Punjab Housing, Urban Development & Public Health Department, ARY News reported.

The Lahore manhole accident happened at a rainwater drainage site supervised by the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), where safety guidelines, including warning signage and barriers, were reportedly unavailable.

On the directives of Department Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the WASA contractor responsible.

Two individuals, contractor Azhar and his associate Maqbool, have been detained. One other suspect, identified as Rao Bilal, escaped but is likely to be caught shortly.

Sub-Engineer Hamza Sharif lodged the FIR officially, with the injured parties also being included as accusers.

The case highlights major faults in security policy by WASA teams and contractors. Noor-ul-Amin Mengal repeated that citizen safety is the government’s primary concern, warning of strict enforcement for negligence.

This tragic Lahore manhole accident has once again brought attention to the urgency of maintaining strict safety protocols at public construction sites. Earlier, on June 23, a formal notification was issued mandating all zones under WASA to comply with barrier placements, warning boards, and adequate lighting to prevent such incidents.

The Lahore manhole accident reflects broader concerns around infrastructure oversight and will likely push authorities to reevaluate accountability across departments and contractor networks.

SUKKUR/KASHMORE: Monsoon rain dumped 267mm water in Sukkur in last 24 hour as rooftop collapse incident leaves a woman dead and four injured in Kashmore district, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Continuous rainfall in Sukkur since last night drowned the city’s roads under knee deep water. The rain also disrupted electric supply as massive power outages reported in the region.

“Sukkur has received 267 millimeters rain in 24 hours,” district administration shared. “The downpour has dumped around 100mm rainwater within an hour,” deputy commissioner said.