In a tragic accident in Memon Goth in Karachi's Malir area, four children fell into a manhole on Wednesday evening. The incident occurred when the manhole cover unexpectedly gave way, causing the children to plunge into the open hole.
The bodies of two children were later recovered, while the other two were rescued alive but are in critical condition.
The deceased have been identified as four-year-old Hasnain and six-year-old Taha. Eleven-year-old Abbas and four-year-old Saqib, who were rescued alive, are currently in serious condition and receiving treatment at Jinnah Hospital.
Residents of the area reported that the children had set up a sabeel over the manhole, whose cover, which was loosely attached, suddenly fell off. The lack of a proper sewage system in the neighbourhood has forced residents to dig large sewage wells, posing significant risks to the community.
"The manhole cover was not secure, and it just fell off, causing this tragedy," said a local resident. "We do not have a proper sewage system here, and people have dug these large wells which are very dangerous."
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene and managed to extract the bodies and the injured children from the manhole. The bodies and the injured were immediately shifted to Jinnah Hospital for further action.
Residents of Malir's Memon Goth are calling for urgent improvements to the area's infrastructure to prevent such incidents from happening again. "This tragic event could have been avoided with a proper sewage system," another resident commented. "We need immediate attention from the authorities to address this issue."
