KARACHI: A man is suing the city of Karachi for Rs110 million over the deaths of his wife and baby who were killed after falling into a nullah during the monsoon rains this July.

Muhammad Danish, his wife Saman, 24, and their three-month-old son Azlan were heading past Qalandaria Chowk on July 17 at about 8pm on their motorcycle when she fell in Shadman nullah. The city was flooded that day because of torrential rains. Danish could not see the open manholes and open nullah because of the flooding. People from the area managed to pull out Saman’s body but the baby’s was never found.

Danish is suing the District Municipal Corporation and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. He argues that it is their responsibility to manage the city’s drainage system and ensure that stormwater drains are covered. KMC’s job is to ensure the drains are cleaned, according to the KMC Act’s Section 29. They can be entitled to compensation under the Fatal Accidents Act, 1855. Their lawyer Advocate Usman Farooq filed the claim in a Karachi West sessions court Friday.

“The accident wouldn’t have occurred if KMC had taken timely safety measures,” he said. “The administration did not pay attention to the open drain, despite several complaints. KMC and DMC should be ordered to pay damages.”

Saman is survived by her daughter Zoha.