Body of 10-Month-Old Baby Rida Fatima Recovered After Falling into Manhole in Lahore

Lahore, Thursday: Rescuers have recovered the body of 10-month-old Rida Fatima from a sewer line in Lahore. The infant had fallen into an open manhole along with her mother near Bhati Gate.

According to Rescue 1122, the baby’s body was found after nearly 17 hours of continuous search. It was recovered from a sewer line on Outfall Road.

Mother’s Body Found Earlier

Earlier, police confirmed that the body of the child’s mother, Sadia, was also recovered from the same sewer line.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Faisal Kamran said the sewage flow was extremely strong. He said the force of the water carried the bodies nearly three kilometres away from the original site.

High-Level Inquiry Ordered

DIG Faisal Kamran said a high-level investigation committee has been formed to probe the incident.

The committee will examine all aspects of the case, including possible negligence. Authorities said the report will be submitted soon.

CM Orders Action Over Negligence

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed deep grief over the incident.

While returning from Bhakkar, she held an emergency meeting at the airport. She ordered strict action against those responsible for negligence and carelessness.

The chief minister also directed officials to submit an impartial fact-finding report immediately.

LDA Suspends Project Team

Following the tragedy, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) suspended the entire team working on the Data Darbar project.

The suspended officials include the project director, deputy director, assistant director, and sub-engineer.

LDA Director General Tahir Farooq also ordered registration of a case against the contractor.

A show-cause notice was issued to the Nespak resident engineer, and departmental action has been recommended. The role of the Nespak team has also been included in the inquiry.

Search Operation Details

Rescue 1122 said the search operation was conducted at three locations: Bhati Gate, Mohini Road, and Outfall Road.

At least 10 rescue vehicles and 25 rescuers took part in the operation.

Investigation Committee Formed

According to an official notification, the additional chief secretary will head the investigation committee.

Other members include the additional secretary of Services and General Administration, the secretary of Communication and Works, and an additional inspector general (AIG).

The committee has been instructed to complete its work and submit a report within 24 hours.

Police Investigating All Angles

Superintendent of Police City Bilal Ahmed said police are investigating the case from all angles.

The woman’s husband was questioned, but police said his answers were not satisfactory.

Earlier, police recorded statements from close relatives. CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts are also being reviewed.

Authorities confirmed that all three individuals, including the husband, have been released for now.

Probe Report and Audio Message Raise Questions

Initial investigation findings revealed that the family was seen shopping near Data Darbar at 6:47pm.

They reached Data Darbar at 7:22pm and were later seen moving towards Old Birds Market at 7:30pm.

At 7:32pm, Rescue 1122 received a call reporting that a woman and child had fallen into a manhole. Rescuers reached the site within four minutes.

Meanwhile, an audio message sent by Rescue 1122 officer Farooq Amjad has surfaced.

In the message, he said he personally investigated the case and found the situation suspicious.

He said the physical conditions at the site did not appear to support the possibility of such an incident.

However, he added that the rescue operation would continue until investigating agencies reached a conclusion.

Inquiry into Audio Message

Reacting to the leaked audio, Rescue 1122 Secretary Rizwan Naseer said a separate inquiry has been launched.

He said officials are investigating why the message was recorded and who it was sent to.