Elderly Man Dies After Accidentally Falling Into Nullah

An elderly man tragically lost his life after falling into a drain in Korangi’s Zaman Town area, police and rescue officials confirmed on Wednesday.

According to rescue sources, the incident occurred near the Korangi Kabaddi Ground when the man slipped into the nullah due to the absence of a protective wall. The victim, identified as Kale Khan, was reportedly walking alongside his bicycle while carrying goods in the dark when he accidentally fell.

Police stated the accident occurred around 6:30pm on Monday, and CCTV footage of the fall has since emerged. Preliminary investigations indicate that the lack of a safety barrier around the nullah was the main cause of the fatal incident. Kale Khan, a resident of Zaman Town Sector 34/3, lived in a rented house with his children and is survived by two sons and two daughters. His funeral prayers have been offered, and he was laid to rest at a local graveyard.

Residents of the area highlighted that the nullah is located in front of a centre and school for blind and special children, and multiple complaints had previously been lodged with authorities regarding the missing protective wall. Despite repeated requests, no cleaning or safety measures were implemented, leading to the tragic accident.

This incident comes weeks after a similar tragedy in Karachi, where a three-year-old child died after falling into an open manhole. In that case, local residents had pooled money to bring in machinery to rescue the child, who was found 14 hours later, while state machinery reportedly arrived hours after the incident.

Following the previous tragedy, 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. Additionally, Waqar Ahmed, executive engineer of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation, was also suspended.

The recent fatality has reignited concerns over the lack of safety measures around open drains in Karachi and the urgent need for preventive infrastructure to avoid similar tragedies in the future.