LHC petition filed over manhole deaths, injuries in Lahore

LAHORE: A petition has been filed in Lahore High Court on Saturday seeking action against people responsible of deaths and injuries after falling into open manholes in Lahore.

Petitioner Amna Malik said that the uncovered manholes and nullahs pose threat to lives of citizens.

According to the petition, in January 2026 seven such incidents claimed four lives. “In last six years 29 people have been died and 65 injured while falling into manholes across Punjab”.

“There are around 4,87,000 sewerage manholes in Lahore, while over 10,000 manhole covers stolen or damaged each year,” petition read.

Petitioner sought province-wide safety audit of manholes for prevention of these incidents.

The petitioner also pleaded for court action against the government officials responsible for such incidents.

It is pertinent to mention here that a woman and her nine-month-old daughter lost their lives after falling into an open sewage drain near Bhati Gate on January 28, 2026.

The child’s body was recovered approximately 17 hours later, nearly eight kilometres from the site, while the mother’s body was recovered around six hours after the incident.

Initially, the rescue teams and other officials termed the incident fake. Despite repeated pleas from the victim’s family, the district administration denied the incident, but the position changed after the mother’s body was recovered.