The bodies of a woman and her daughter, who fell into an open sewer line near Data Darbar in Lahore, have been recovered, sources said on Thursday.

According to police and rescue officials, the incident took place in an area where the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) was carrying out development work.

Officials said the sewer line was uncovered at the time of the accident.

DIG Operations Faisal Kamran told the media that the woman’s body was retrieved after more than six hours of a rescue operation.

Later, the body of the 10-month-old girl was also recovered after rescue teams searched drains and sewer lines in the surrounding area.

Faisal Kamran said a high-level committee has been formed to investigate the incident.

He added that police have released three people who were taken into custody, including the woman’s husband.

Sightseeing trip turns tragic

According to officials, the affected family had arrived from Shorkot to Lahore for sightseeing.

After visiting Minar-e-Pakistan, they went to Data Darbar.

After coming out of Data Darbar, the woman sat with her infant daughter on the edge of a nearby sewer line, from where both fell inside.

Entire team suspended

Meanwhile,** Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken notice of the incident near Data Darbar and ordered the suspension of the entire team working on the development project, officials said.

According to sources, following the incident, the Director General of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) suspended the project director, deputy director, assistant director and a sub-engineer associated with the project.

Earlier, only the project director and deputy director had been suspended.

TEPA blamed for the tragedy

Meanwhile, an initial inquiry report has held the Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) responsible for the incident.

Sources said a TEPA contractor had opened a manhole without putting in place any safety measures.

No warning signs were installed to alert the public, barriers were not placed around the manholes, and no security personnel were deployed.

An explanation has also been sought from TEPA Chief Engineer Iqrar Hussain.

Probe committee formed

Separately, a five-member committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the additional chief secretary to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident.

The committee will identify those responsible and submit recommendations to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The committee has been directed to complete its investigation and submit a report within 24 hours.

Family members freed

A spokesperson for the Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) said the accident occurred while development work was in progress in the area.

Preliminary information suggested that the absence of a protective cover on the sewer line led to the incident.

The woman’s husband and mother-in-law were present at the scene at the time of the accident, police said. However, their statements reportedly differed, complicating the investigation.

Police initially took both individuals into custody for questioning to clarify the circumstances of the incident. However, both were released.