In the wake of the devastating death of three-year-old Ibrahim, who fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi in Karachi, a crucial video has emerged, exposing the long-standing infrastructure failure that preceded the tragedy. The footage shows the manhole cover, located outside a private store, shattering after a heavy dumper truck drove over it on November 17 at 2:05 AM. The manhole had remained dangerously open for weeks following the damage.
The release of the video coincides with the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) submitting its investigative report to the Secretary of Local Government. In a move that shifts accountability, the KMC has attributed the primary responsibility for the child’s death to the management of the private store and the ongoing construction of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project.
According to the report submitted by the Senior Director of Municipal Services, the investigation concluded that the core cause of the incident was the extensive excavation carried out for the BRT project, which severely damaged the area’s drainage system. The KMC claimed that the BRT project attempted to cover the damaged manholes using unauthorized, sub-standard “temporary two-foot covers” or simply left them open. The report explicitly states that these non-standard covers were never sanctioned or utilized by KMC. Furthermore, the KMC alleges that the BRT failed to inform them before commencing excavation and subsequently neglected the resulting hazards. This development underscores a deep-seated institutional failure, as different government entities deflect responsibility while the family of young Ibrahim continues to mourn their irreparable loss.
