CCTV footage shows child falling into open manhole near NIPA Chowrangi

KARACHI: Close-circuit television (CCTV) footage showing three-year-old Ibrahim falling into an open manhole near NIPA Chowrangi in Karachi has emerged.

Ibrahim,3, fell into an open manhole outside a departmental store in Karachi on Sunday and his body was retrieved on Monday.

Disturbing Content- Viewer Discretion Advised

In a CCTV footage available with ARY News, obtained from the departmental store, shows child coming out of the store walking and falling into the an open manhole in its parking.

The open manhole was located just five steps from the store’s staircase. The footage shows the child walking toward the area before falling straight into the manhole.

At the time of the incident, there was no protective cover or barrier placed around the manhole.

Moments later, the child’s mother is seen running after him. She began screaming for help, causing people in the area to gather. A man standing nearby also alerted others to the situation.

Tanveer recovered toddler’s body

Speaking to ARY News, Tanveer narrated the entire situation. He said the area was crowded when people learned that a child had fallen into a manhole and could not be located.

He explained that the drainage channel flows in three directions. “I thought I should check the point where the water flow is stronger—maybe I’ll spot something. When I looked into the drain, I saw the child’s foot. I then climbed down and, with great difficulty, pulled him out.”

Tanveer added that while he was carrying the body, police officers stopped him and asked him to hand it over. “I told them no, I will give him to his parents.” Shortly after, the boy’s parents and media personnel arrived at the location.

Blame game

Political recriminations erupted almost immediately. In the Sindh Assembly, Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq Sattar lambasted Mayor Murtaza Wahab, demanding his resignation over the “collapse of civic services.” Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) MPA Taha Ahmed echoed the call, decrying unkept promises on infrastructure.

Opposition alliances—spanning PTI, MWM, GDA, and others—united in blaming the PPP-led provincial government for “state-engineered negligence.” Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon conceded it was “criminal negligence,” offering condolences and vowing accountability.

Mayor Wahab, defending his administration, announced a full inquiry, the procurement of store CCTV footage, and directives to KWSC for citywide manhole inspections. Government spokesperson Saadia Javed promised action against those responsible for the missing cover, revealed in documents to have been flagged as hazardous in October—weeks before the fatal fall.