KMC holds BRT, departmental store responsible for toddler’s death in open manhole

Three-year-old Ibrahim fell near Nipa Chowrangi; body recovered after 14-hour search

The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has held Red Line BRT authorities and the management of a private departmental store, Chase Up, responsible for the death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal on Sunday night. The child’s body was recovered after a 14-hour search near Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology.

 

 

 

 

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According to the KMC report, submitted to the Secretary of the Local Government Department, the tragedy occurred because excavation work for the Red Line BRT project had severely damaged the drainage system. Temporary two-foot covers placed over the drains were inadequate to prevent accidents.

The Express Tribune has recovered CCTV footage of the incident. It shows the manhole was inside the bike-parking area, not clearly seen, but with no construction work visible. Excavation only began after the incident to recover the child.

The report emphasised that the BRT authorities had not informed KMC before starting the work, and that such unsafe practices—using substandard temporary covers and leaving manholes open—had never been employed by the municipal corporation. KMC said negligence on the part of BRT was a key factor in the child’s death.

However, this was not the first time a child had died after falling into an open manhole in Karachi. In January 2025, eight-year-old Ibad Asad fell into an uncovered manhole near a wedding hall in Shah Faisal Colony and died despite rescue efforts. Last year alone, at least 19 people lost their lives due to open sewers, highlighting a persistent issue of oversight and the failure of local authorities to ensure basic public safety measures. Similarly, in September 2021, two-and-a-half-year-old Hamza died in Garden West after the manhole cover near his grandfather’s house had been missing for 15 days, with residents reporting that nearby construction activity had damaged it.

Read: Toddler’s body recovered after falling into manhole near Nipa flyover, Karachi

Ibrahim, the only child of Nabeel and his family, slipped into the open manhole around 11pm on Sunday while walking ahead of his father between parked motorcycles outside the store. His body traveled nearly half a kilometre through three internal sewage channels before being recovered. His mother reportedly fainted, and his grandfather, Mehmoodul Hasan, received the body.

Locals and volunteers joined the search but faced delays due to a lack of machinery and sewerage maps. Ibrahim’s father and grandfather even spent Rs15,000 on private excavation before KMC teams resumed operations. BRT machinery arrived nearly 16 hours after the fall to excavate the main drainage line.

Design: Ibrahim Yahya

Political leaders, including MQM’s Dr Farooq Sattar and Jamaat-e-Islami’s Hafiz Naeemur-Rehman, criticised authorities and highlighted the safety risks posed by uncovered drains and manholes. Mayor Murtaza Wahab expressed condolences and said relevant authorities, including the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board (KWSC), had been instructed to investigate.

Following the incident, an investigation committee formed on the instructions of the Sindh Chief Minister visited the site, accompanied by Assistant Commissioner Gulshan-e-Iqbal Syed Amir and local police. The committee inspected the store and the location where Ibrahim’s body was recovered. It will determine the causes of the accident and submit its findings to the Chief Minister.

The incident also sparked protests at Nipa Chowrangi, where residents blocked roads, burned tyres, and halted traffic. Some protesters damaged media vans, prompting police to divert vehicles to nearby routes. Lawyers, journalists, and residents expressed distress on social media platforms, including X, urging authorities to take urgent measures to prevent similar tragedies.

Read More: Graves on roads

The Sindh Assembly erupted in protest over Ibrahim’s death, with opposition lawmakers condemning municipal negligence. MQM’s Iftikhar Alam questioned how long children would remain at risk from uncovered drains, while JI’s Muhammad Farooq demanded accountability from the mayor and town officials, citing this as the third incident along the BRT Red Line. PTI’s Rehan Bandukda highlighted the emotional toll by holding up the child’s photo.

Senior Sindh Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon expressed sorrow, assured strict action, and noted that 88,000 manholes have been covered this year. The tragedy also triggered legal action as two petitions were filed in District East seeking a criminal case against Mayor Murtaza Wahab and other municipal officials, citing repeated complaints by Ibrahim’s family and delays that forced them to hire a private search team.