Staff Reporter
Karachi
At least six people, including an 11-year-old girl, lost their lives due to electrocution as rain lashed Karachi since early Monday morning and the torrential rains in parts of Sindh and KP wreaked havoc.
Life at Hyderabad, Jamshuru, Thatta, Badin and Tandu Muhammad Khan was paralyzed after heavy rains lashed these cities. On the other hand the flood water caused huge trouble for the residents of Chitral.
As per details, the weather has turned pleasant after heavy rains in parts of Sindh. Rains in Hyderabad troubled people as rain water has not been drained. In Jamshuru rain water entered the city. Indus Highway and Railway station were flooded with rain water while power supply was cut in several areas. A similar situation was reported from Baddin and Tandu Muhammad Khan where people are suffering due to ill administration of responsible authorities.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted widespread rains/wind-thunderstorm in Sindh (Mirpurkhas, Thatta, Hyderabad, Karachi, Benazirabad, Sukkur, Larkana divisions), while at scattered places in Makran, Kalat, Sibi, Naseerabad, Lahore, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Faislabad, Rawalpindi, Malakand, Hazara divisions, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, at isolated places in Sahiwal, Zhob divisions and Islamabad.
Four people, including two minors were electrocuted to death in different areas of Karachi.
According to the Sindh Police, Ghulam Rasool, 19, Mehrab, 10, Umer, 9, and Saad, 30, breathed their last after being electrocuted. The incidents took place in Gulistane Johar, Malir City and Paposh Nagar. Another unidentified 30-year-old man’s dead body was also brought from Boat Basin who had also been electrocuted during the heavy rains.
The highest level of rainfall, 60 millimetres, was recorded at Saddar, while Surjani Town received 50mm, Faisal Base area 45mm, North Karachi 42mm, and Nazimabad 39mm of rain.
Pakistan Meteorological Department issued a weather advisory last week of heavy rainfall and wind-thunderstorms from Sunday to Tuesday in different parts of Sindh including Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas and Thatta.
Inspector General of Police Sindh Syed Kaleem Imam directed officials to stay vigilant and ensure that citizens are safely rescued in case of emergencies. He also instructed the police force to oversee relief efforts. Accumulation of rainwater and caused traffic congestion in various parts of the city and the rains also disrupted power supply across Karachi. Prolonged power outages caused inconvenience to the citizens.
Parts of the city also experienced power outages including various courts such as the Supreme Court Karachi registry, the Sindh High Court and accountability courts. This affected court proceedings resulting in most hearings being rescheduled.
According to a spokesperson for the K-Electric, electricity had been restored fully or partially in North Karachi Sector 11, Nagan Chowrangi, Nipa, Block 19 of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Airport, Nazimabad Block 5, Punjab Chowrangi, Akthar Colony, Dohraji, Bahadurabad, Tariq Road, Hassan Square and the Saddar Lucky Star area.
Meanwhile, all schools, both public and private , will remain closed today across Sindh owing to heavy rainfall in different parts of the province. As per a notification by Secretary of Education, Qazi Shahid Pervez, after multiple parts of Sindh received heavy rain and thunderstorm, a public holiday was declared on Tuesday, July 30.
Furthermore, orders were issued for all officials to visit schools in their areas and get the rainwater cleared. The rain in the metropolis has led to the deaths of at least two people through electrocution, which includes an 11-year-old girl.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah called Secretary Energy Musadiq Khan and directed him to ensure that power is restored in areas that are facing breakdowns.Power supply to important installations including the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board has not been affected, he said.
The spokesperson asked city dwellers to stay away from electrical wires and poles due to rain.
Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani had told media that he had directed the authorities of all districts to immediately initiate cleanliness work on an emergency basis and get it done before the rain.
Meanwhile, Sindh Secretary for Education Qazi Shahid Pervez issued a notification, announcing that government and private schools across the province will remain closed on Tuesday. District officials have also been instructed to ensure that water is drained from school buildings.
A heavy downpour caused flooding in various parts of Hyderabad including Latifabad and Qasimabad. Rainwater accumulated in all low-lying areas and on main arteries of the city. The Met Office had recorded 188mm of rain till 5pm.
The rain that had started at 3am continued intermittently till noon. Attendance at offices was low and traffic disappeared from roads while the Shahbaz Building, known as the local Sindh government secretariat, remained submerged. Hyderabad also experienced a widespread power breakdown. The main pumping stations of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) remained shut or ran on generators.
