A rescue operation was underway on Monday to locate a three-year-old boy who fell into an open manhole near Nipa in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Sunday night.

Protests against the incident were also reported in the area, with traffic police saying University Road was blocked near Nipa Flyover, with vehicles being diverted towards Rashid Minhas Road and Johar Mor.

Images shared on social media last night showed a large number of citizens gathered in the area as rescue work was underway. Other videos also showed the child’s distraught mother calling on someone to save her child.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the service’s central command received information about the incident at 10pm on Sunday night.

He said the boy was with his parents, who were shopping at a private departmental store near Nipa. He said the boy fell into the manhole after the family left the store.

He said that Rescue 1122 did not usually initiate search operations at night due to a lack of visibility. But, since a “highly charged” crowd had gathered and the parents were grief-stricken, officials initiated the search operation, he said.

However, rescue workers have been unable to trace the boy.

The spokesperson said that the search and rescue operation continued into the night for a considerable time. He said that the rescue operation had been halted for now, but officials had excavated five areas with the help of heavy machinery to search for the missing boy.

He said that the Rescue 1122 team had asked the authorities concerned to provide the blueprint for the underground drainage system. According to Khan, the team was waiting for information on the entry and exit flow of the underground water so that rescue work could be conducted at the exact location.

Karachi mayor cautions against politicising incident

Speaking to the media in Karachi, Mayor Murtaza Wahab said he would initiate an inquiry into the incident but cautioned against politicising it.

“Unfortunately, when this kind of thing happens, we immediately go toward blame and rhetoric,” he said. “If there is a human tragedy, then is it necessary to bring politics into it?”

He said that he would conduct an inquiry as to how long the manhole had been left open in the middle of the city, near a large department store which was visited by thousands daily.

“How it was open or was it left open at that time … this will be checked,” he said.

“If there was carelessness on the part of the government, I assure you we will take action,” he said.

Wahab also said he would ask the union council chairman concerned about whether it had been communicated that the manhole was left open as he questioned the funds provided to the councils.

“This is very unfortunate,” he said, talking about the incident. “I will refrain from political rhetoric, but I will say once, and for all that we will have to decide whether we will focus on assigning blame or actually try to find solutions to people’s problems.”

‘How many more will die?’

Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman slammed the Sindh government for “playing with the lives and health of Karachi’s citizens” in the name of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects.

Speaking to the media in Karachi, he said the construction of the projects had resulted in the destruction of roads. “BRT projects in Karachi should be stopped due to their numerous flaws, which are causing traffic issues and endangering lives,” he said, as he went on to speak about the incident at Nipa.

“ Today, a boy fell into a gutter and died [sic],” he said, questioning that “how many more will die?”. He held the Karachi Water and Sewage Corporation responsible for the incident and condemned the incident.

The JI chief’s accusation apparently stemmed from the digging at University Road between Nipa Chowrangi and The Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology for the Karachi Water and Sewerage System Improvement Project.

The city’s roads were also dug for BRT projects, which Rehman said the authorities should abandon, citing concerns over the safety and well-being of citizens. Referring to frequent road accidents and incidents such as people falling into manholes, he questioned, “Who will take responsibility for the 3.5 crore population of Karachi?”

He said Karachi was generating 90 per cent tax revenue in the country but still faced problems.

“The Sindh government has collected 3,306 billion rupees in  taxes, infrastructure funds, and development charges, but has failed to utilise these funds for the development of Karachi. Instead, they engaged  in corruption,” he alleged.

He appealed to the people of Karachi to join the JI in its efforts to hold the government accountable and fight against land grabbers and corruption.

Past incidents

Deaths from falling into open gutters and manholes frequently occur in Pakistan, particularly in major cities like Karachi, where poorly managed drainage systems, missing or broken covers, and inadequate lighting in congested neighbourhoods often put pedestrians in danger. The gutters are filled with toxic sewage and lack oxygen, making it easy to suffocate or drown within minutes.

In September, three sanitation workers died by falling into a manhole while cleaning it in Karachi’s Usmanabad neighbourhood.

In May, a six-year-old boy fell into an open manhole in Karachi and drowned, causing a a protest by residents and politicians which prompted the police to register a case.

In April, the body of a young girl was recovered from a drain in Liaqatabad after being reported missing.