SAHIWAL: After 12 hours, the family came to know through CCTV footage that the missing boy had accidentally fallen into an open manhole and drowned in the gutter on Pakpattan Road.

Reports said Nadeem Hyder (10), a resident of 76/9-L, Sahiwal tehsil, had accompanied his family to attend a marriage ceremony in Arifwala.

Ali Hyder, the child’s father, told Dawn that Nadeem on Sunday noon had gone out to purchase chips and biscuits from a roadside shop but did not return. The family grew worried and launched a search for the child. Despite searching throughout the night, they found no trace of him.

The family made announcements at nearby mosques and later approached a shopkeeper whose CCTV cameras were operational on the road where the child was last seen. At 11pm, CCTV footage showed the child had fallen into an open manhole on Pakpattan Road while crossing it. Since it was a Sunday holiday, there was no one present on the road, leading to the incident going unnoticed.

The family informed Rescue 1122, which, along with local municipal committee staff, found the boy’s body after two hours of effort. The rescue team handed over the body to the family.

The child’s father has demanded an inquiry into the incident.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2024