Father, son die after falling into uncovered manhole

Police say boy was running to catch ball when he fell into gutter

ISLAMABAD:

A man and his son lost their lives after falling into an uncovered manhole near a playground in Sector I-10/4 on Tuesday.

Fifty-year-old Abdul Rahman used to work at a private hotel and lived with his wife and children in a rented house in Sector I-14.

Rahman’s 14-year-old son named Arshad went to play cricket with his friends at a playground near the house. During the play, Arshad was running to catch the ball when he suddenly fell into the gutter as no cover was installed on the manhole by CDA.

Sources said that CDA's Civil Management and Sanitation and Maintenance Directorate is responsible for the upkeep of manholes.

As soon as the young boy fell into it, people gathered for rescue, including the boy's father, Abdul Rahman, who jumped into the drain without a thought. It is said that the sewer was 20 feet deep and contained deadly gases, as evident from the extraordinary foul smell witnessed by onlookers.

The incident was promptly reported to 1122. According to eyewitnesses, however, the rescue team arrived after 35 minutes and started the operation for recovery. When rescue workers reached the bottom of the sewer, both the father and the son were dead.

According to the police, the bodies of both victims were taken out and transferred to PIMS, where they were pronounced dead before their bodies were handed over to the heirs.

On the same day, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) conducted an operation at Islamabad International Airport and recovered eight drug-filled capsules from the possession of two Sharjah-bound passengers on Tuesday.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2023.