KARACHI: An elderly man lost his life after falling into a drain in Korangi’s Zaman Town area, police and rescue officials said on Wednesday.
According to rescue sources, the incident occurred near the Korangi Kabaddi Ground when the elderly man slipped into the nullah due to the absence of a protective wall.
The victim was reportedly walking alongside his bicycle, carrying goods, in the dark when he accidentally fell into the nullah.
Police said the incident took place at around 6:30pm on Monday, and CCTV footage of the accident has since surfaced. Police identified the deceased as Kale Khan, a resident of Zaman Town Sector 34/3.
Police said preliminary investigations suggest the lack of a safety barrier around the nullah was the primary cause of the fatal accident. They added that Kale Khan lived in a rented house with his children and is survived by two sons and two daughters.
The deceased’s funeral prayers have been offered, and he was laid to rest at a local graveyard.
Meanwhile, area residents said the nullah is located in front of a centre and school for blind and special children, adding that multiple complaints had previously been lodged with relevant authorities regarding the absence of a protective wall.
Despite repeated requests, they said, no cleaning or safety measures were implemented, ultimately leading to the tragic incident.
The tragedy comes weeks after a similar incident in Karachi, where a three-year-old child died after falling into an open manhole.
People pooled money to bring in machinery themselves in a desperate bid to rescue the child. However, he was found 14 hours later, with eyewitnesses saying state machinery arrived only after hours of delay.
Following the criticism, the Sindh Local Government Department suspended multiple officials, including Imran Ahmed Rajput, senior director of municipal services at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, and Rashid Fayyaz, assistant executive engineer at the Town Municipal Corporation, Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
Similarly, the executive engineer of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, Waqar Ahmed, was also suspended.
