Four decomposed bodies, including those of two women and a child, were recovered from a manhole in Karachi on Friday, triggering an immediate investigation ordered by the Sindh chief minister.
Deputy Inspector General South Asad Raza said the bodies were discovered near Mai Kolachi Phatak, a relatively isolated area close to Mauripur. He said the victims included one man, two women and a child, and were believed to have died between 10 and 15 days earlier.
According to police, Edhi Foundation volunteers, along with law enforcement officials, retrieved the bodies from the sewer after a garbage collector reported a foul smell and alerted authorities.
Investigators said concrete blocks had been placed inside the manhole, apparently to hide the bodies. No identity documents or personal belongings were recovered from the site.
The bodies were moved to a hospital for post-mortem examinations, which officials said would help determine the cause of death and assist in identification.
Police officials estimated the ages of the deceased women to be between 24 and 45 years, the man between 25 and 30, and the child around 14 to 16 years old. Due to prolonged exposure to sewage water, immediate identification was not possible, they added.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Zain Baloch described the location as a “jungle area” with no nearby residential settlements, noting that similar incidents have occurred there in the past.
“The bodies were lying beneath stones inside the manhole,” he said, adding that investigations were ongoing and it was too early to comment on possible motives or suspects.
Rescue officials told local media that preliminary findings suggested the victims may have been brought to the area before being killed, adding that signs of violence were observed at the scene.
The incident comes as Karachi continues to witness a rise in violent deaths, raising concerns over public safety and law enforcement challenges in the city.