KARACHI: A municipal inquiry into the death of a three-year-old boy who fell into an open manhole in Gulshan-i-Iqbal has placed responsibility squarely on the negligence of officials linked to the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project and the management of a nearby department store.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) submitted its findings after the child, who slipped into an uncovered drain near Nipa on Sunday night, was found dead the following afternoon — almost fifteen hours later.
According to the report, which was prepared on the instructions of Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, a KMC team launched a search operation in front of the Chase Departmental Store, the point where the boy reportedly disappeared.
Once the body was recovered, the site was examined to determine how the tragedy occurred. Investigators concluded that ongoing BRT construction had severely disrupted the drainage network running from Nipa toward Aziz Bhatti Park. Temporary slab covers — two-by-two-foot blocks not approved by KMC standards — were found across the line. One of these, the report noted, had been left open.
The document emphasised that BRT officials had carried out excavation without informing or obtaining clearance from KMC. The pits, dug during construction work, were later overlaid during road surfacing, masking their condition and leaving safety gaps unaddressed.
The report’s conclusion was blunt: the fatal fall resulted from “carelessness” on the part of both the BRT project staff and the store’s management, neither of whom took steps to secure or flag the exposed opening.
The BRT Red Line works have already turned major arteries — especially University Road — into extended construction corridors, drawing sustained criticism for poor management and lax safety controls.
KMC added that, under the supervision of the deputy commissioner of District East and BRT engineers, the excavated pits have now been refilled to restore traffic flow.
The child’s death triggered public anger, compounded by the slow coordination between civic agencies during the search. Residents blocked University Road on Sunday night and again on Monday, calling for accountability.
By Tuesday, several political parties had joined the protests, demanding the Karachi mayor’s resignation, while petitions seeking legal action against responsible officials were filed in court.
