A tragic incident in the historic Bhati Gate area of Lahore has shaken the city, where a mother lost her life after falling into an open manhole while the body of her 10-month-old daughter was recovered 17 hours after the incident.

Rescue officials say the minor's body was found at the same place where the mother's body was found earlier. The incident has sparked public outrage over alleged negligence, contradictory official claims, and unsafe development work.

Following the recovery of both bodies, the rescue operation was declared complete. The search operation was conducted at five different locations to locate the child’s body.

The incident occurred near the Bhati Gate area of Lahore, where a woman from Shorkot and her infant daughter fell into an open manhole during ongoing development work. The area is close to the historic Data Darbar.

According to the victim’s cousin Razia, the woman was visiting Data Darbar when her 10-month-old daughter, Rida Fatima, slipped from her lap and fell into the uncovered manhole. She said the mother immediately jumped in after the child in an attempt to save her.

Infant found after 17 hours

Rescue teams from Rescue 1122 began a search operation immediately after the accident. After nearly five to six hours, the woman’s body was recovered from a sewer line near Outfall Road, around two kilometers away from the site.

After continuous efforts, the infant girl's body was recovered after 17 hours. Rescue operations were going on at five locations, including Bhati Gate, Outfall Road, and Mohini Road, with 10 rescue vehicles and 25 workers participating.

In-charge Rescue Control Farid Zaidi said the operation was far more complicated than usual. He explained that the sewer pipeline after the manhole is barely one to two feet in diameter, with very low water flow, making it difficult to understand how the woman’s body traveled two kilometers.

Also Read: Mother, daughter fall into open manhole near Lahore's Data Darbar

Initially, the Punjab government termed the incident a fabrication based on reports from WASA and rescue officials. WASA Managing Director Ghufran Ahmed stated it was “probably not possible” for a person to fall into such a small space with limited water.

After the woman’s body was found, official statements began to change, contradicting earlier claims. The incident, initially termed a domestic dispute, led to the arrest of three people, including the victim’s husband, though they were later released.

DIG confirms incident, arrests questioned

DIG (Operations) Faisal Kamran visited the site and confirmed the tragic incident. He said there were contradictions in the statements of the person who initially reported the incident, which led to temporary detentions that later drew public criticism.

LDA team suspended

Meanwhile, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) director general has taken strict action and suspended the entire team working on the Data Darbar development project. The suspended officials include the project director, deputy director, assistant director, and sub-engineer. The project director and deputy director had been suspended earlier.

Expressing strong anger over the incident, the LDA DG directed the immediate registration of a criminal case against the contractor involved in the project. A show-cause notice has also been issued to the contractor as well as to the private company working on the project.

On the instructions of the DG, a show-cause notice was issued to the NESPAK resident engineer, who was also suspended, and departmental action along with a formal inquiry has been recommended against him. It has also been decided that the role of the entire NESPAK team involved in the project will be included in the investigation.

Punjab CM takes notice

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took strict notice of the incident and formed a fact-finding committee. She ordered the suspension of the TEPA project director and TEPA deputy director (engineering) for negligence.

Relatives of the deceased woman accused authorities and contractors of gross negligence, stating there were no safety arrangements around the open manhole. They demanded the contractor’s license be revoked and severe punishment awarded to those responsible.

Citizens have described open manholes and incomplete development projects as a serious threat to human life. Experts are urging stronger monitoring, accountability, and enforcement mechanisms to prevent such tragedies in the future.

The Bhati Gate tragedy has exposed serious flaws in safety oversight, emergency response coordination, and communication between institutions. The prolonged search for the missing child continues, as grieving relatives await answers and accountability.