A child narrowly escaped a serious accident after falling into an open manhole in Lahore’s Shafiqabad area on Friday evening, prompting action against WASA officials over negligence.
The incident took place at around 6 p.m. on Bund Road and was captured on CCTV. The footage shows the child walking along the roadside before suddenly falling into the uncovered manhole.
Nearby shopkeepers immediately rushed to the spot and pulled the child out before the situation could turn fatal. The child remained safe, and no loss of life was reported.
Following the incident, WASA Managing Director Ghufran took notice and ordered disciplinary action against the officials concerned. Sub-Engineer Muawiya Mustafa was suspended, while Work Charge Sub-Engineer Muhammad Abdullah was dismissed from service.
The WASA chief also ordered an emergency inspection of all manholes across the city and warned that strict departmental action would be taken in case of negligence or poor safety arrangements.
The incident has once again raised concerns over the implementation of public safety measures, as the Punjab government had earlier directed authorities to install safety nets inside manholes to prevent such accidents.
However, the measure has yet to be fully implemented.
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