KARACHI: A frantic rescue operation is underway near Karachi’s NIPA Bridge after a three-year-old child fell into an open manhole this afternoon. The incident has sparked outrage among local residents, who have long warned authorities about the deadly hazard posed by uncovered drainage shafts in the area.
According to initial reports, the toddler fell into the open manhole, which was left exposed and without any safety barriers. The child’s family immediately alerted emergency services, prompting a large-scale response from Rescue 1122. For over four hours, rescue teams have been working tirelessly at the site, employing heavy machinery in a desperate attempt to locate the child. The complex operation involves excavating the area around the manhole to access the underground drainage system where the child is believed to be trapped.
As the agonizing search continued, the victim’s family and a growing number of local citizens began a protest at the scene. Their anger is directed at what they call criminal negligence and government ignorance regarding the persistent issue of uncovered manholes across the city. Protesters voiced their frustration, stating that they had repeatedly complained about this specific manhole, yet no action was taken to secure it.
A Rescue 1122 official confirmed that the “operation for the search is underway,” and every available resource is being utilized. The deployment of heavy machinery from both Rescue 1122 and city authorities underscores the severity and complexity of the effort. With each passing hour, anxiety grows, and the community’s demands for accountability and immediate action to cover all such hazardous manholes in the city become more fervent. The situation remains critical as rescue workers battle time and difficult conditions in a race to find the child.
Meanwhile the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in Quetta has made significant arrests in a case involving a sophisticated scheme to provide national identity cards to foreigners. In a crackdown that highlights the vulnerability of the country’s citizen registration system, three officials from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) were taken into custody.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Syed Anwar Shah, the Regional Head Officer (RHO) for Quetta; Junior Executive Syed Akhtar Shah; and Khawaja Waqas, who was posted in the Chaman Zone. Their arrests are connected to FIR No. 3/24, a case stemming from the Riyadh Embassy passport scandal.
