LAHORE: Three fatalities and three arrests were recorded following a tragic incident at two underground PTCL manholes on Wasu Road in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin on Thursday. Police and rescue sources stated that the incident occurred during an attempt to steal PTCL cables. Initial investigations indicated six individuals, including three inside one manhole whose cover was closed, suffocated due to lack of oxygen.
Three residents from Muzaffargarh district were among those found dead at ages 21, 23, and 24. Their bodies were taken to DHQ Hospital for post-mortem examinations. The three individuals arrested inside the second manhole also hail from Muzaffargarh district. They were brought to Civil Lines police station.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Muhammad Ashraf Kathia filed a report at the police station, which detailed ongoing investigation into the incident. A copy of this report is available with Dawn.
Open drains persist in Pakistan due to inadequate urban planning and maintenance, coupled with weak enforcement of safety standards. During rainfall events, these manholes transform from visible to hidden dangers, resulting in fatal falls, drownings, and injuries, especially among children.
Earlier in January, five members of a family were saved after falling into an open drain in Karachi’s Mehran Town area, as reported by Rescue 1122 officials. In December, a three-year-old boy named Ibrahim fell into a manhole in Karachi’s Gulshan-i-Iqbal and was rescued more than twelve hours later.
The Edhi Foundation reported that at least 27 people had lost their lives after falling into open manholes or ditches within the metropolis last year.