A little boy chasing a cat falls into an 8-foot-deep ditch; contractor among the four hired
GUJRAT:
A two-year-old boy died on Thursday after falling into an uncovered manhole near his house in a private housing society in Sarai Alamgir, police said.
According to initial reports, the boy had left his house while chasing a cat when he accidentally fell into a nearby open ditch.
The culvert, which was reportedly between six and eight feet deep and filled with water, had been left without protective fencing during ongoing construction work in the area.
The boy drowned instantly before family members could rescue him.
Rescuers and police rushed to the spot after being alerted and recovered the body from the sewer.
The deceased was shifted to Sarai Alamgir Hospital at Tehsil headquarters for legal formalities.
The police of Saddar Sarai Alamgir police station have registered a case under section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the complaint of the boy’s uncle Gul Manan Shehzad.
The FIR names the contractor and three others for alleged negligence.
However, as of filing this report, no arrests had been made.
Residents in the area have expressed anger at what they described as negligence in leaving sewers open and unattended in residential areas.
Just a few days earlier, a minor girl was injured after falling into a manhole in another incident in Sarai Alamgir.
Authorities said further investigations are underway.
Early on January 29, the body of a woman who, along with her daughter, fell into a sewer near Bhati Gate in Lahore was found. The minor’s body was found around 16 hours later.
DIG (operations) Lahore Faisal Kamran told The Express PAkGazette that the victim has been identified as 24-year-old Sadia.
He said relevant authorities and emergency services had been carrying out search operations along the route of the sewer line and at one point spotted the body. However, the search operation continued for the recovery of the child victim. The DIG said the body was found on Outfall Road, three kilometers from the said sewer, adding that the flow of sewage was so intense that it carried away the body.
He said a high-level committee has been formed to investigate the incident, adding that the probe body will soon present its findings. He further said that the heads of all concerned authorities are currently on the ground inspecting the process, following the directives of the Punjab Chief Minister.
