LAHORE, Jan 21: A three-year-old child drowned in Rohi drain in Kahna on Monday morning and rescuers failed to fish out his body despite several-hour efforts, said witnesses and rescuers.

Arslan Asghar, of Gajjumata village, was playing outside his house, only 10 feet from the drain, along with his six-year-old sister. While playing, Arslan slipped and fell into the drain. His sister started screaming and called her mother for help.

Locals arrived there within few minutes and informed police, Rescue 1122, Edhi and Water and Sanitation Authority officials.

Edhi and Rescue 1122 officials arrived at the scene and launched hunt for the lost child. While police reached the spot after 30 minutes and Wasa officials as usual reached in the end.

Asghar, the victim’s father, was away from the house at the time of the incident. He has been living in the area along with his wife and five children for the last couple of years and works in a nearby factory.

According to Asghar, he is living in the house as it costs him less rent and is near to workplace.

He said he could not blame anyone about the mishap, but the recovery of the body would help reduce his grief.

Officials of Rescue 1122, Edhi and Wasa kept searching for the boy from the drain, but found nothing till the filing of the report at 10:30pm.

The drain has no checkpoints to block the flow of the water.

A Wasa spokesman said agency officials had sent the machinery to find out the lost child.

Officials will be able to find the child if he drowned in the drain.—Staff Reporter