KARACHI: Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has announced a series of suspensions following a high-level meeting led by the Sindh chief minister, responding to the death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi.
Wahab described the incident as “unbearable, shameful, and extremely painful,” saying that as a father he could deeply understand the family’s grief. He visited Ibrahim’s home to extend condolences and offered a personal apology, telling the family they may choose to forgive him if they wished.
The mayor confirmed that multiple officials have been suspended, including an engineer from the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, the KMC senior director, the district Mukhtiarkar, the assistant commissioner and, with approval, the SSP East and the relevant DSP. He said further action will follow once the inquiry concludes.
Wahab also highlighted that rescue efforts were hindered because crowds had gathered around the manhole, blocking machinery and slowing operations. He called for a clear SOP to prevent similar disruptions during emergencies.
Addressing broader infrastructure issues, he noted the frequent theft of manhole covers and said Karachi has 245,000 covers, with 88,000 newly installed in the past year. He said police were aware of where stolen scrap is sold and that the interior minister had assured action against such markets. He urged citizens to report missing covers or infrastructure hazards through the 1334 helpline.
Wahab added that budgets for Town Chairpersons have been increased to strengthen local infrastructure and prevent tragedies of this nature.
Earlier, a KMC report submitted to the Local Government Department held the Red Line BRT authorities and the management of Chase Up responsible. It stated that excavation work had severely damaged drainage lines, and that temporary covers used at the site were inadequate. The report said BRT authorities had not coordinated with KMC and that negligence in using substandard temporary covers played a major role in Ibrahim’s death.
