BAHAWALPUR: Two persons, including a staffer of Rescue 1122, died of sewer gases in an open manhole in the Satellite Town on Sunday.

According to Rescue 1122, a speeding car hit a mentally challenged man, identified as Bilal, 45, near Chakkiwala Chowk in Satellite Town on Basti-Himyatian Road. Bilal fell into the open manhole of sewerage. The unidentified car driver escaped.

The rescuers responded to an emergency call and attempted to pull Bilal out of the uncovered manhole. A rescuer, Muhammad Ashiq, 32, entered the manhole to bring Bilal out but fell unconscious due to toxic gases. At this, another rescuer also entered the manhole but he was immediately brought out before gases had an effect on him. Other rescuers managed to pull unconscious Ashiq and Bilal out of the manhole and shifted them to Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH). Bilal was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctors. They tried to save life of Ashiq, a resident of Yazman, but failed.

According to the residents of Satellite Town, Bilal was mentally challenged and used to walk on the roads. It is learnt Ashiq entered the uncovered manhole without safety gadgets and oxygen cylinder due to which he fell unconscious.

It may be recalled the municipal corporation had laid sewerage at a cost of Rs85m last year for the improvement of drainage system at Chowk Basti Himyatian, Satellite Town, and adjacent areas. Since then, the corporation failed to cover most of its open manholes which had become deathtraps for the passers-by and motorists, particularly schoolchildren. They also produce foul smell and might cause diseases among the human population.

The residents of Satellite Town and its surrounding localities have demanded Mayor Aqeel Najam Hashmi to take action against the negligent MC officials.

THREE DIE: Three people were killed in an accident near Qaimpur, 80km from here on Bahawalpur-Hasilpur road.

Javed Khan Waince of village Talhar was going to Hasilpur in his car. When he reached near Qainchi Mor, his car collided with a motorcycle coming from opposite side. A man and a woman, whose identity could not be confirmed, died on the spot while the car rammed into a tree. Waince was seriously injured and shifted to the tehsil headquarters hospital where he also breathed his last.

SUCCUMBS TO BURNS: The woman who was allegedly burnt by her father-in-law at Liaquatpur succumbed to her burns at the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH).

According to police, Rasool Bakhsh some differences with his daughter-in-law Kausar Parveen, a mother of five, over some domestic issue. He doused her in petrol and gave it fire. Kausar received burns on ninety percent of her body and was shifted to the emergency of the BVH last night in serious condition. The police claimed to have arrested Rasool Baksh and Kausar’s husband, Abdul Malik.

PUMA: The Bahawal Zoo on Sunday attracted a large crowd of visitors, including children and women, who wanted to see the newborn cub of puma.

Zoo curator Naveedul Haq told Dawn puma had given birth to a female cub a few days ago but the announcement was made on Sunday after ensuring the cub would survive. He said the puma couple was brought from Lahore Zoo last year under an animal exchange programme. He also told there was also an addition of twin fawns of a nilgai and a fawn of urial at the zoo.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2019