A toddler died close to NIPA as a result of BRT work negligence: KMC

The unfortunate death of a toddler who fell into a manhole close to NIPA in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal neighbourhood of Karachi has been thoroughly investigated.

According to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) inquiry report, which was delivered to the Local Government Department Secretary, the incident was caused by the BRT Red Line’s construction.

The Senior Director of Municipal Services’ report states that the Mayor of Karachi ordered the start of a search and rescue effort to find the child. Later, the child’s body was found in Gulshan Town in a connecting sewer.

The mishap was caused by the continuing BRT construction works, according to the inspection. The drainage system had been badly damaged during the BRT project’s excavation, and manholes were temporarily blocked with two-foot covers.

According to the article, the Red Line project crew left a manhole at the location open, which is why the catastrophe happened. It goes on to say that KMC has never employed such practices or inferior covers.

Before beginning the excavation, the BRT officials failed to notify KMC, and once the excavation was completed, the matter was disregarded. The investigation finds that the youngster fell into the manhole as a result of carelessness on the part of the BRT project and the private business management. Under government supervision, the excavated areas have now been filled again.

Notably, three-year-old Ibrahim slipped into a manhole outside a private department shop close to NIPA on Sunday night. On social media, his mother’s heartbreaking video went viral. The infant was nowhere to be located, even after family and locals searched all night. A young person from the area found the body around a kilometre away fourteen hours later.