Girl’s death caused by open manhole: Sindh govt, KWSC ordered to pay Rs15m to legal heirs

KARACHI: A local court in Karachi on Saturday ordered the Sindh government and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) to pay Rs15 million in compensation to the legal heirs of an eight-year-old girl who died after falling into an uncovered manhole, holding the authorities responsible for negligence.

The order was issued by Senior Civil Judge (West) Salman Amjad Siddiqui after hearing a compensation suit filed by the girl’s parents through their counsel, Advocate Farrukh Usman, under the Fatal Accidents Act, 1855.

The parents had sought compensation from the Sindh government and KWSC, alleging that their daughter’s death was caused by the defendants’ negligence and failure to ensure public safety.

According to Advocate Farrukh Usman, the incident occurred in 2021 at Sher Muhammad Village near Mauripur Road.

He said the girl, identified as Habiba, had gone outside to play. Her body was found two days later in a nearby sewer, where the manhole cover was missing.

The parents had initially sought Rs25 million in damages and made the Sindh government and KWSC parties to the case.

After hearing the arguments and examining the evidence, the court held the concerned authorities liable for the incident and ordered them to pay Rs15 million in compensation to the deceased girl’s legal heirs.