Murtaza Wahab — the Mayor of Karachi — has formally apologized to the family of a three-year-old boy, Ibrahim, who fatally fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi.
Describing the tragedy as “unbearable, shameful, and extremely painful,” Wahab visited the family home to offer condolences and personally said sorry, acknowledging the city administration’s failure to prevent such a tragedy.
Following a high-level meeting convened by the provincial leadership, several officials have been suspended pending investigation — including personnel from the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC), city senior management, and local law-enforcement heads.
The mayor also cited systemic issues — theft of manhole covers, insufficient temporary coverings after excavations, and absence of proper standard operating procedures (SOPs) during rescue operations — as contributing factors. He committed to infrastructure reforms, enhanced funding for local administrations, and urged citizens to report missing manhole covers via helpline 1334 to prevent future tragedies.