A video of a young girl falling into an open manhole in Karachi is circulating online. The footage shows her falling in a manhole, local residents pulling her out and rinsing her off with water, before taking her away.
According to the police, the video appears to be from Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town. Officials are currently examining the footage to determine the date and details surrounding the event.
They also mentioned that an investigation is ongoing to identify who filmed it and when it took place.
Three days prior, a three-year-old boy, Ibrahim, fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi, which is in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. His body was discovered 15 hours later in a nearby drain following a search by rescue teams and volunteers. Ibrahim ran ahead of his family, while visiting a store and slipped into the uncovered manhole.
Ibrahim’s incident prompted protests close to Nipa Chowrangi, with residents blocking roads leading to Hasan Square and the University of Karachi, demanding action from authorities.
Protesters stated that their numerous warnings regarding open manholes had not received any attention or action. A media vehicle was targeted during the demonstration, and political figures who arrived were asked to leave the area by the residents.
Public reaction to the latest case of the young girl spread quickly on social media. Users questioned both the condition of Karachi’s drainage system and the responsibility of adults. One user wrote, “Okay EVERYBODY knows Karachi is possibly in the worst and dangerous conditions… Why are parents/families this neglectful of their children? Baby Ibrahim incident just happened few days ago… parents, please do your due diligence please.”
Another user said, “That means we do not have to wait for the government or rescue departments because it’s only we who would have to help each other instead of waiting for them.”
A separate reaction stated, “Beyond heartbreaking! How many more tragedies will it take for authorities to wake up and take action? They’re not ‘accidents’ but the result of negligence from our government!”
Another commentator asked, “Is this a new trend now? Is the govt. sleeping? I wish their own child suffer the same thing so then they will get to know how it feels.”
Residents said repeated incidents show that open manholes continue to pose a risk across the city and that the latest case has again, highlighted concerns raised after Ibrahim’s death.