KARACHI – Panic, outrage, and heartbreak shook Pakistan’s largest city Karachi as 3-year-old boy named Ibrahim disappeared after falling into uncovered manhole near NIPA Chowrangi late Sunday night.
What started as family shopping trip turned into nightmare when little Ibrahim slipped from his father’s hand, ran ahead toward their parked motorcycle, and plunged straight into the gaping, uncovered hole. His parents witnessed the horror unfold right before their eyes.
Despite scale of emergency, rescue efforts were thrown into disarray, rescuers struggled against intense water flow and the lack of latest machinery. Rescue workers publicly said no government official was present and that the few machines that arrived abandoned the scene shortly afterward.
ہیومن رائٹس کونسل پاکستان ہنگامی بیان
کراچی، نیپا چورنگی پر ایک افسوسناک واقعہ پیش آیا جہاں ایک خاتون کا بچہ کھلے مین ہول میں گر گیا۔ بے سہارا ماں کی تڑپ، چیخیں اور بے بسی پورے نظامِ حکمرانی کی ناکامی کا ثبوت ہے۔ شہر کے وسط میں کھلے مین ہولز کا ہونا سنگین غفلت ہے۔
ہیومن رائٹس… pic.twitter.com/rFRc8lhJAb— Human Rights Council of Pakistan (@HRCPakistan) November 30, 2025
Furious residents arranged heavy machinery themselves, launching a desperate community-led excavation effort through the night. As hours passed without progress, residents reached boiling point. University Road near NIPA Chowrangi and Hassan Square turned into a protest zone as citizens burned tires, blocked traffic, and demanded accountability for what they called a “criminal act of negligence.”
Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab ordered probe into the tragedy, promising action against those responsible and assuring all out support for the search.
Amid the outrage and anger, Karachi Deputy Mayor countered family’s statements, accusing “miscreant elements” of disrupting the rescue operation for political motives. Water Corporation announced that the manhole in question does not belong to its network, claiming neither a sewer line nor an official manhole exists at that spot.
The family lamented how the child slipped from grip of his fathr for just a moment, a moment that changed their lives forever.
More updates to follow…
