Open manhole devours another child

KARACHI:

The open manholes of the city devoured another child on Thursday.

Four-year-old Umra Baloch became victim to the official apathy of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the Sindh Government who fail to put lids on the manholes.

The girl had taken money from her grandmother to go and buy some candy from a neighbourhood shop in Moach Goth but did not come back.

According to the deceased girl’s family and the residents of the area, Umra Baloch’s mother had gone to teach in the madrasa at the time of the incident. Umra Baloch remained missing for two hours.

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After reaching her home, the mother came to know about her daughter’s disappearance. After that, the search for Umra Baloch started.

The family and residents of the area searched for her for a long time. A local resident found her body from an open manhole. The girl was immediately pulled out of the open manhole and shifted to a nearby hospital, where doctors confirmed that she was dead.

The family members of the deceased and the residents of the area said that the sewage system in Moach Goth is completely destroyed, with every sewer and drain was without cover. The people of Moach Goth were suffering the consequences of the negligence and carelessness by the concerned government institutions.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2023.