Three officials of a private water park in Batapur in Lahore have been arrested after a nine-year-old girl died when she was pulled into an uncovered drainage pipe while swimming, police said on Monday.
According to the spokesperson for the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Lahore, the incident occurred after the water park administration allegedly began draining water from the swimming pool while the child was still inside. Police said the main drainage outlet had been left uncovered, and the strong suction created by the flowing water pulled the girl into the drainage pipe, where she became trapped.
Rescue teams launched an operation immediately after the incident and managed to retrieve the child from the drainage pipe. However, despite efforts to save her, she succumbed to her injuries.
A case has been registered at Batapur Police Station on the complaint of the victim’s mother. Police said that the investigation would determine whether negligence on the part of the water park management contributed to the child’s death and whether established safety procedures had been violated.
The spokesperson said those arrested include the water park’s manager, the CCTV in-charge and the security in-charge. Investigators are collecting evidence from the scene, reviewing CCTV footage and recording statements from employees and witnesses to establish the sequence of events and determine individual responsibility.
Police said the inquiry would also examine the circumstances under which the pool was being drained while visitors were still present and why the drainage outlet had allegedly been left uncovered.
