At least 17 people, including two minors, have died as rain lashed the provincial capital of Sindh since Monday.According to rescue sources, two children were electrocuted while playing in the rainwater in the Malir area of Karachi.
Another two people were electrocuted following rain in the Paposh Nagar area, while the other deaths took place in Defence, Clifton, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and Khamosh Colony areas.
“At least nine people died in the port city of Karachi,” said Shayan Shah, a spokesman for the provincial disaster management authority.
“Six people were brought dead to hospital due to electrocution,” Seemi Jamali, Medical Superintendent of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Karachi, told DPA.
The continued downpour, which initially started with light drizzle around 6am, continued until the evening, with heavy downpour later in the day inundating several parts of the metropolis.
The highest level of rainfall, 60mm, was recorded at Saddar, while Surjani Town received 50mm, Faisal Base area 45mm, North Karachi 42mm, and Nazimabad 39mm of rain, according to the Met Office.
The Met Office said widespread rains and wind-thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls were expected to continue in Karachi and other parts of Sindh province as well.
According to the Met director, the monsoon system will likely end today, and there is not much chance of rain in the first week of August.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) issued a flood warning saying monsoon currents were presently active over north and south parts of the country and widespread rains were expected in next 24 hours.
“At least 57 people have died so far this month due to rain- and flood-related incidents in the country,” said Saqib Mumtaz, a spokesperson for the NDMA.
Floods usually hit South Asia in monsoon season, which begins in July and lasts until the end of August.
Meanwhile, the Sindh education department announced the closure of schools, colleges, universities and all educational institutions in Karachi.
Examinations scheduled at the Karachi University, the province’s largest university, the NED University of Engineering and Technology, and the Federal Urdu University were postponed.
New dates for the examinations would be announced later, said the university administrations.
Following the first spell of rain early in the morning, around 400 feeders of the Karachi-Electric (KE) power supply company tripped.
The KE spokesperson said power was being supplied to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.
In the nearby Hyderabad, heavy rains wreaked havoc and roads were mostly inundated.
At several places, residents faced difficulties as water entered houses and electric supply was suspended too.

Source:gulf-times.com

LEAVE A REPLY