LAHORE: After the horrifying manhole tragedy in Karachi, another heart-wrenching incident has now shaken Lahore. A mother and her nine-month-old baby girl reportedly fell into an uncovered manhole near the main entrance of Data Darbar in Lahore, triggering an immediate emergency response and raising serious questions about public safety and negligence.

According to Rescue 1122, a distress call was received after a woman slipped into an open manhole near Bhati Gate, close to the shrine’s main gate. Rescue teams rushed to the scene and launched an extensive search operation to locate both the mother and her infant daughter.

After several hours of continuous efforts, the woman’s body was recovered from Outfall Road, where she had been swept away after falling into the manhole. Tragically, despite ongoing rescue operations, the baby girl remains missing.

This devastating incident closely follows a similar tragedy in Karachi, where a two-year-old child, Ibrahim, fell into an open manhole and was found dead after a 15-hour search operation.

In the aftermath of the Karachi incident, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had assured the public that no manhole would remain uncovered across the province. She announced that all manholes would be sealed with lids stamped with the Punjab government’s mark, ensuring they could neither be stolen nor resold.

Yet, despite these assurances, another life has been lost.

The Lahore tragedy has reignited public outrage and deep concern over government negligence, poor infrastructure maintenance, and the lack of basic safety measures in public spaces. Citizens and civil society are now demanding accountability, strict enforcement of safety regulations, and urgent corrective action to prevent such avoidable tragedies from repeating.

One more incident. One more life lost. And once again, questions remain unanswered.

 
Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)