They initially refused to go down the 10-foot manhole, but the chief inspector threatened to fire them. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ARCHIVE
A five-year-old boy died on Tuesday after falling into an uncovered manhole in Lahore’s Sundar area, officials said.
The victim, identified as Hassan Amir, was playing on a street near Rana Town, behind a mosque, when he accidentally fell into a drainage hole, according to police and the boy’s father. Residents responded to the scene and managed to remove the child before taking him to the hospital. However, doctors could not save his life.
Read: Boy falls into sewer
The boy’s father, Amir Jameel, lodged a first information report (FIR) at Sundar police station under section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which refers to qatl-bis-sabab (involuntary manslaughter).
“At around six in the afternoon, my five-year-old son Hassan Amir, while playing in the street, fell into a hole,” the victim’s father said in the FIR, a copy of which is available at The express PAkGazette. He said the boy was rescued with the help of residents and taken to Indus Hospital, but later succumbed to injuries from the fall.
“Those responsible for my son’s death are the corresponding administration, the administration of the Atomic Energy Company (Maraka) and the management of the A&B construction company,” said the complainant, demanding legal action and justice.
Meanwhile, police said an investigation had been launched to determine responsibility for the boy’s death and whether safety measures had been ignored.
Saddar Division Superintendent of Police Shah Rukh Khan visited the incident site and offered his condolences to the bereaved family.
talking to The express PAkGazetteLahore Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations) Mohammad Faisal Kamran said investigations were being carried out from multiple angles and those responsible would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The incident led residents to demand immediate measures to plug the uncovered manholes, alleging that they had become a persistent threat to the lives of citizens, especially children.
Read also: Family of Punjab manhole victims refuse to pursue case
Residents said valuable lives were being lost due to the negligence of the relevant authorities and called for immediate and effective measures to be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again.
The tragedy revived memories of a similar incident in January this year, when a woman and her child died after falling into a manhole near Bhati Gate in Lahore.
A month later a similar incident was reported in the Raiwind area of the city, where a two-and-a-half-year-old boy died after falling into an open manhole.
The incidents were not limited to the capital of Punjab, as such events have frequently taken place in Karachi, resulting in the deaths of several people, especially children.
One of the worst incidents was recorded in Karachi last year, when three-year-old Ibrahim fell into an open manhole near the Nipa flyover in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. His body was recovered 15 hours later from a manhole near Sir Syed University on University Road, sparking widespread outrage.
