Karachi Father Seeks Justice Legal Action Over Negligence in Son’s Manhole Tragedy

The father of a six-year-old boy who sadly fell into an uncovered manhole and passed away has taken legal action against the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) for their negligence.

Atifuddin has filed a lawsuit in front of a senior civil judge (East), asking for Rs62.6 million in damages from the KWSC and KMC after his son, Abyanuddin, lost his life. The incident happened on May 6, 2023, in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area while the boy was playing cricket and accidentally fell into the open manhole.

Atifuddin has named the chief executive officer of KWSC and the municipal commissioner of KMC as defendants in the lawsuit.

He explained that his son, along with his older brother Arifuddin and other children, was playing cricket when he slipped while trying to catch the ball and fell into the open manhole. Despite efforts from nearby residents to rescue him, the strong water flow made it impossible to retrieve him from the dangerous depths of the manhole.

Atifuddin expressed disappointment with the response from KWSC, highlighting inefficiency and a lack of coordination in their rescue efforts. He was saddened by how long his son remained trapped despite the involvement of both residents and KWSC in the rescue operation.