Five family members rescued after falling into open drain in Karachi’s Korangi

Five people, including two children, were rescued after they fell into an open drain in Karachi’s Korangi on Sunday.

Rescue officials said that Rescue 1122 received an alert through the Central Command and Control system about a family of five having fallen into an open drain in Mehran Town.

A water rescue unit along with trained divers was dispatched to the scene.

The officials said that the operation was launched without delay, rescuing all five family members, who were heading to attend a wedding ceremony.

The people were shifted by ambulance to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medical treatment. Rescue officials said that one of the women was in critical condition.

Explaining how the incident happened, the officials said that four family members, two women and two children, were waiting at a street corner to board a bus when they stepped onto slabs placed over a rainwater drain near a mosque. The slabs reportedly collapsed under their weight, causing all four to fall into the drain.

A male relative, who rushed to help after seeing the incident, jumped into the drain but was also swept away by the water. Rescue officials said that the drain was estimated to be between 50 and 100 feet deep.