At least 16 people have died so far, mostly from electrocution, in Karachi as monsoon rains lashed the city on Thursday, rescue and hospital officials told Dawn. Two others have died in Sindh's Jamshoro and Kashmore districts.
According to the Met Department, the rains which began Wednesday evening are expected to continue for three days in various parts of Sindh.
Residents of Karachi can call the Karachi Municipal Corporation's (KMC) rainemergencycentres at 0332-2685090, 0335-7553976 and 1339 in case of emergency.
Various parts of the city — including North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Orangi, Malir, Drigh Road, NIPA, Northern Bypass and Gujjar Nala — are submerged because of the heavy rains, while some bridges have turned into virtual swimming pools, DawnNews reported.
Houses are partially submerged following heavy rainfall in Karachi. ─AP
Fears have arisen of possible flooding in Saadi Town and Super Highway where water had gathered after a crack had appeared in Thado Dam near Malir, according to a Rangers spokesman. He said Rangers officials had reached both areas to help out citizens facing difficulties.
District Council Chairman Salman Murad, however, rubbished the reports of a crack in the dam as "incorrectrumours". Murad, who visited the site after the news surfaced, said there is still room for more water to accumulate in the dam.
The Rangers spokesman had said that due to waterrunoffon the mountainous area near the dam, water had accumulated quickly in Thado Dam and Malir.
The most rain in the city was recorded in North Karachi at 97 millimeters, according to DawnNews.
Administrative officials, while speaking to DawnNews, said work was underway to divert the rainwater away from Saadi Town.
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Casualties
Edhi officials told Dawn at least 13 people had died due to rain-related incidents in Karachi. Chippa rescue services added a single casualty.
An eight-year-old child was killed when a building belonging to the Intelligence Bureau collapsed in the city's Clifton area in the aftermath of heavy rain, Karachi South DIG Azad Khan confirmed.
After the incident, the minor's body was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where Executive DirectorDr Seemin Jamali confirmed the death of the child.
Dr Jamali also confirmed the death of Shahzeb, 23, who she said was dead on arrival.
Officials are still engaged in removing the debris from the collapse, the DIG added.
In Kashmore town, a young girl identified as Aqsa was electrocuted in her house, whereas in Jamshoro, 22-year-old Hajan Ali drowned in rainwater near Thano Bola Khan town of Jamshoro district.
Relief operations
As Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa instructed the army to extend full support to Karachi city administration, the army provided water extraction pumps to the administration, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
Rangers and Army officials are also assisting in relief operations in various parts of the city, DawnNews reported.
Children play in an underpass filled with rainwater in Karachi. ─ AP
The Pakistan Air Force has allocated a C-130 aircraft and two helicopters to the Sindh government to take part in rescue and relief operations if necessary.
Additionally, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah — who is currently in Makkah for Haj — directed Health MinisterDr Sikander Mandhro that emergency departments at all government-run hospitals should remain stocked, and that the availability of doctors at all government health facilities is ensured throughout the province.
The chief minister also directed the Sindh chief secretary to ensure that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority is helping citizens as rains pound the province.
Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar had, on Monday, directed KMC staff to remain alert and ready with all required equipment and machinery to tackle problems related to the expected rainfall.
The Karachi administration had also requested the Pakistan Army to help manage the effects of torrential rains in the city, ISPR said. Chief of Army
CM Shah called Sindh Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Transport Minister Nasir Shah to express concern about the situation in the province. Shoro and Nasir Shah briefed the Sindh CM after inspecting various areas of the city to assess the situation.
Power supply
According to K-Electric (KE) Communications Director Sadia Dada, 30 of Karachi's 1,600 feeders remained affected this evening.
"Some feeders have been switched off in view of safety concerns in areas with waterlogging, and restoration work will be expedited in affected areas as soon as standing water is wiped out," Dada said earlier.
She urged residents to exercise caution around electric supply points and transmission lines on the streets, particularly in areas with urban flooding, and asked them to report broken wires and other issues on KE'shelplines.
Customers can register queries/complaints on 118 or 99000, and through KE’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Flood warning
Following days-long downpours in neighboring India that especially caused havoc in Mumbai, a well-marked low pressure system in the neighbouring country sent out very strong moisture currents which generated widespread rain in lower Sindh, scattered areas of Punjab and upper parts of the country on Wednesday.
Windstorms and rains are expected to lash scattered places in Sindh (Sukkur, Larkana and Shaheed Benazir-abad, etc) and Punjab (Lahore, Gujran*wala, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawal*pur and Dera Ghazi Khan, etc), besides parts of Balochistan and upper parts of the country — Hazara, Pesha*war, Malakand and Sargodha divisions, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
The Met Department has asked citizens to avoid "unnecessary travel".
Children play in a flooded street after heavy rain in Karachi. ─ AFPThe Sindh government had issued a weather warning on Tuesday, anticipating heavy rains, in which it directed all district disaster managementauthorities,commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure that all precautionary measures are taken to avoid any untoward situation as well adopt an effective response mechanism, including issuing an early warning for flash floods.
The direction, through a "most urgent" letter, was issued in connection with a weather warning issued by the Met Department.
"A strong monsoon weather system from India is heading towards Sindh and is likely to enter south-east Sindh on Tuesday evening. Under its influence rain/thundershowers with a number of moderate to heavy and few very heavy falls with strong gusty winds may occur Sindh particularly in lower divisions in Sindh, including Karachi from August 30 to September 1. Heavy falls may generate urban flooding in vulnerable areas of lower Sindh," read the warning.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1355132/16-killed-as-monsoon-rains-lash-karachi-parts-of-city-submerged
According to the Met Department, the rains which began Wednesday evening are expected to continue for three days in various parts of Sindh.
Residents of Karachi can call the Karachi Municipal Corporation's (KMC) rainemergencycentres at 0332-2685090, 0335-7553976 and 1339 in case of emergency.
Various parts of the city — including North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Orangi, Malir, Drigh Road, NIPA, Northern Bypass and Gujjar Nala — are submerged because of the heavy rains, while some bridges have turned into virtual swimming pools, DawnNews reported.
Houses are partially submerged following heavy rainfall in Karachi. ─AP
Fears have arisen of possible flooding in Saadi Town and Super Highway where water had gathered after a crack had appeared in Thado Dam near Malir, according to a Rangers spokesman. He said Rangers officials had reached both areas to help out citizens facing difficulties.
District Council Chairman Salman Murad, however, rubbished the reports of a crack in the dam as "incorrectrumours". Murad, who visited the site after the news surfaced, said there is still room for more water to accumulate in the dam.
The Rangers spokesman had said that due to waterrunoffon the mountainous area near the dam, water had accumulated quickly in Thado Dam and Malir.
The most rain in the city was recorded in North Karachi at 97 millimeters, according to DawnNews.
Administrative officials, while speaking to DawnNews, said work was underway to divert the rainwater away from Saadi Town.
View image on Twitter
Casualties
Edhi officials told Dawn at least 13 people had died due to rain-related incidents in Karachi. Chippa rescue services added a single casualty.
An eight-year-old child was killed when a building belonging to the Intelligence Bureau collapsed in the city's Clifton area in the aftermath of heavy rain, Karachi South DIG Azad Khan confirmed.
After the incident, the minor's body was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where Executive DirectorDr Seemin Jamali confirmed the death of the child.
Dr Jamali also confirmed the death of Shahzeb, 23, who she said was dead on arrival.
Officials are still engaged in removing the debris from the collapse, the DIG added.
In Kashmore town, a young girl identified as Aqsa was electrocuted in her house, whereas in Jamshoro, 22-year-old Hajan Ali drowned in rainwater near Thano Bola Khan town of Jamshoro district.
Relief operations
As Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa instructed the army to extend full support to Karachi city administration, the army provided water extraction pumps to the administration, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
Rangers and Army officials are also assisting in relief operations in various parts of the city, DawnNews reported.
Children play in an underpass filled with rainwater in Karachi. ─ AP
The Pakistan Air Force has allocated a C-130 aircraft and two helicopters to the Sindh government to take part in rescue and relief operations if necessary.
Additionally, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah — who is currently in Makkah for Haj — directed Health MinisterDr Sikander Mandhro that emergency departments at all government-run hospitals should remain stocked, and that the availability of doctors at all government health facilities is ensured throughout the province.
The chief minister also directed the Sindh chief secretary to ensure that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority is helping citizens as rains pound the province.
Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar had, on Monday, directed KMC staff to remain alert and ready with all required equipment and machinery to tackle problems related to the expected rainfall.
The Karachi administration had also requested the Pakistan Army to help manage the effects of torrential rains in the city, ISPR said. Chief of Army
CM Shah called Sindh Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Transport Minister Nasir Shah to express concern about the situation in the province. Shoro and Nasir Shah briefed the Sindh CM after inspecting various areas of the city to assess the situation.
Power supply
According to K-Electric (KE) Communications Director Sadia Dada, 30 of Karachi's 1,600 feeders remained affected this evening.
"Some feeders have been switched off in view of safety concerns in areas with waterlogging, and restoration work will be expedited in affected areas as soon as standing water is wiped out," Dada said earlier.
She urged residents to exercise caution around electric supply points and transmission lines on the streets, particularly in areas with urban flooding, and asked them to report broken wires and other issues on KE'shelplines.
Customers can register queries/complaints on 118 or 99000, and through KE’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Flood warning
Following days-long downpours in neighboring India that especially caused havoc in Mumbai, a well-marked low pressure system in the neighbouring country sent out very strong moisture currents which generated widespread rain in lower Sindh, scattered areas of Punjab and upper parts of the country on Wednesday.
Windstorms and rains are expected to lash scattered places in Sindh (Sukkur, Larkana and Shaheed Benazir-abad, etc) and Punjab (Lahore, Gujran*wala, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawal*pur and Dera Ghazi Khan, etc), besides parts of Balochistan and upper parts of the country — Hazara, Pesha*war, Malakand and Sargodha divisions, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir.
The Met Department has asked citizens to avoid "unnecessary travel".
Children play in a flooded street after heavy rain in Karachi. ─ AFPThe Sindh government had issued a weather warning on Tuesday, anticipating heavy rains, in which it directed all district disaster managementauthorities,commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure that all precautionary measures are taken to avoid any untoward situation as well adopt an effective response mechanism, including issuing an early warning for flash floods.
The direction, through a "most urgent" letter, was issued in connection with a weather warning issued by the Met Department.
"A strong monsoon weather system from India is heading towards Sindh and is likely to enter south-east Sindh on Tuesday evening. Under its influence rain/thundershowers with a number of moderate to heavy and few very heavy falls with strong gusty winds may occur Sindh particularly in lower divisions in Sindh, including Karachi from August 30 to September 1. Heavy falls may generate urban flooding in vulnerable areas of lower Sindh," read the warning.
https://www.dawn.com/news/1355132/16-killed-as-monsoon-rains-lash-karachi-parts-of-city-submerged
