A heart-wrenching scene unfolded in Karachi on Sunday night when three-year-old Ibrahim fell into an open manhole near Nippa Chowrangi, prompting desperate cries from his mother and a widespread outpouring of grief and anger. “For God’s sake, save my child,” cried the distraught mother, Ayesha, as rescue teams continued their search well into Monday, struggling to locate the boy after more than 15 hours of effort.
According to initial reports, Ibrahim and his parents were leaving a departmental store when the child suddenly slipped from their hands and ran ahead. His father’s motorcycle was parked near what appeared to be an ordinary spot on the ground — but the manhole beside it was left uncovered, concealed only with a cardboard sheet. In seconds, the toddler disappeared into the sewage channel, leaving the family in shock.
Following the incident, residents of the area erupted in anger, blocking the road leading to Gulshan-e-Iqbal by burning tyres and placing a water tanker to halt traffic. The family clarified that they did not organize the protest, stating that locals acted on their own out of frustration and sorrow.
Ayesha, Ibrahim’s mother, told reporters that she has only two children — her daughter and little Ibrahim. Fighting through tears, she expressed disappointment over what she described as a painfully slow rescue response. “Since last night nothing has happened here. So much time has been wasted. I don’t know where my angel is,” she said.
Ibrahim’s father, Nabeel, said neither the town administration nor the Karachi Mayor nor the Sindh government had contacted them for many hours after the incident. Heavy machinery has since been deployed to dig out the water channel in the hope of tracing the child’s whereabouts.
Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad visited the site and questioned the absence of a manhole lid, ordering a transparent inquiry into the negligence. Sindh government spokesperson Sadia Javed said CCTV cameras in the area were non-functional due to ongoing maintenance but assured strict action against those responsible.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab also addressed the media, expressing sorrow and urging political circles not to use the tragedy for point-scoring. He said teams from KMC, KWSC and SSWMB were working at the site around the clock. Wahab added that the drain in question was a storm water channel, not a sewer line, and insisted that all possible resources were being utilized in the rescue operation.
The mayor emphasized that the incident should not be politicized, noting that 88,000 sewer covers had been installed in the city over the past year. “Hypocrites think about political goals; I think about the people,” he remarked, calling for accountability over the lack of a proper cover on the drain.
As the rescue efforts continue, Karachi waits anxiously, hoping for a miracle and demanding urgent reforms to prevent such tragedies from happening again.
