Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has held Red Line BRT officials and the management of a private departmental store, Chase Up, responsible for the death of a three-year-old boy who fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi, Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The child, identified as “Ibrahim,” disappeared Sunday night; his body was recovered after a 14-hour search near Sir Syed University.
According to KMC’s report submitted to the Local Government Department, the tragedy was caused by excavation work linked to the BRT project, which severely damaged the drainage system. Temporary two-foot covers placed over drainage openings were deemed grossly insufficient to prevent accidents — one such cover near the store was reportedly missing at the time of the incident.
CCTV footage reveals the manhole was located inside a bike-parking area near the store, but there was no visible construction work ongoing at the time of the accident. Excavation only began after the child had fallen — a detail that KMC says underscores negligence by responsible parties.
The incident sparked widespread public outrage. Residents and civil society have decried the lapse in safety measures, calling the death “murder by negligence.” Protests erupted at Nipa Chowrangi, involving road blockades and burning of tyres. Legal petitions have been filed against municipal officials including the city mayor.
Authorities have established an investigation committee under instructions from the provincial leadership; the committee will submit its findings, and KMC has pledged stricter safety enforcement measures to prevent such tragedies in future.