Senior citizen dies after falling into open manhole in Karachi

KARACHI: A senior citizen lost his life after falling into an open manhole in Karachi’s Korangi No. 4 area on Wednesday, ARY News reported.

The tragic incident occurred in Zaman Town, where CCTV footage later surfaced on social media showing the elderly man walking while holding his bicycle. Moments later, he suddenly fell into the uncovered manhole and disappeared from view.

According to residents, there were no street lights in the area, and due to darkness, passersby failed to notice the incident in time, resulting in delayed rescue efforts. The victim died at the scene.

Police said the deceased was a resident of Zaman Town, Sector 34/3. Citizens alleged that the accident occurred due to the absence of a protective wall or cover over the manhole.

Earlier this month, a similar incident was reported near the Nipa Roundabout, where a three-year-old child, Ibrahim, fell into an uncovered manhole on Sunday night.

According to Rescue 1122, the child’s family was leaving a nearby store when the boy ran toward the road and fell into the open manhole, which was missing its cover.

Rescue operations were hampered due to the narrow sewage line, and the child’s body was recovered nearly 15 hours later.

The body was retrieved by Tanveer, a garbage collector, who spotted it inside the drain and handed it over to the police. Speaking to ARY News, Tanveer alleged that he was slapped by police officers at the scene after being questioned about his identity and role.

The incident sparked public outrage on social media, prompting Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) East Dr. Farrukh Raza to honor Tanveer with a cash reward and a bouquet of flowers.

Tanveer later visited the SSP East office on Shahrah-e-Faisal, where the SSP also presented a flower garland to his father in appreciation of his efforts.