An eight-year-old boy was killed after falling into an open manhole in Karachi’s Korangi area on Monday, the latest fatal incident linked to uncovered drains across the city.

The incident occurred in Mehran Town, Sector 6-G, where the child, identified as Dilbar Ali, was playing in the street when he slipped into the open manhole. He died on the spot.

Rescue officials retrieved the body and shifted it to hospital for legal formalities.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Korangi Fida Hussain visited the site along with a police team to review the situation.

Family members said the manhole had been uncovered for over a month.

The child’s grandmother told reporters that Dilbar was his father’s only son and had briefly returned home before going back out to play. She said several manholes in the area were without covers.

The boy’s father, Azhar Ali, said his son was playing with other children when the accident occurred, adding that repeated complaints about the missing cover had gone unaddressed.

Residents accused civic authorities of negligence, saying officials were once again absent despite repeated fatalities caused by open manholes and drains.

According to available data, this was the 14th reported incident this year involving open manholes or drains in Karachi. At least 27 people have lost their lives in similar accidents so far.

Deputy Mayor Karachi Salman Abdullah Murad later visited the site and expressed condolences to the family. He said he was not there for political purposes and vowed strict action against those responsible.

Murad claimed that the union council chairperson had been provided 10 manhole covers by the water corporation 10 days earlier.

He said whether the fault lay with government officials or elected representatives, those responsible would be punished.

The tragedy comes weeks after a similar incident on November 30, when a three-year-old child, Ibrahim, fell into an open manhole near Nipa Chowrangi in Gulshan-e-Iqbal. His body was recovered after 15 hours, with the family alleging delays in rescue efforts despite repeated appeals to authorities.