A powerful monsoon system formed in the Arabian Sea caused torrential downpours in various parts of Karachi Sunday night, but it claimed the lives of two youngsters.
According to the police, a woman and her three-month-old daughter fell into a flooded nullah in the Buffer Zone area while they were passing through on a motorbike. The woman was rescued in an unconscious state, while a search for her daughter was initiated.
According to officials, lightening struck 16-year-old Raju, son of Hashim Shaikh, in Malir’s Jam Mahar Ali Goth, and he was immediately taken to a nearby private hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead, after which his body was taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
Farhan, son of Khalid, was electrocuted at his shop in Orangi Town, according to the Mominabad police, and his body was taken to the JPMC.
The much-feared monsoon rains wreaked havoc on the city, inundating all major thoroughfares and causing severe traffic jams for hours.
Rainwater flooded Shahrah-e-Faisal at various points, slowing traffic movement. Rainwater also hampered traffic flow on Drigh Road. University Road in the Safari Park area was completely flooded, halting traffic for hours due to the presence of large potholes.
Rainwater also flooded Nipa, Abul Hassan Ispahani Road, and parts of Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The situation in District Korangi deteriorated after most of the district’s localities were flooded. Korangi No 1 and its surrounding areas were inundated, and the damaged roads brought traffic to a halt. Imran Athar, a citizen, was driving from Korangi to Shah Faisal when he became stuck in the rain for several hours.
Parts of Rashid Minhas Road were also submerged, halting traffic for hours. Rainwater accumulated at Shafiq Morr, slowing traffic movement, but Nagan Chowrangi remained open.
According to the traffic police, the Submarine Underpass was closed for traffic due to the presence of rainwater. Meanwhile, rainwater impeded traffic movement on Korangi Road.
Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab told the media that rainwater did not accumulate in large quantities at any point in the city, while the traffic continued to move. He stated that as a precautionary measure, heavy machinery had been deployed along various city thoroughfares, particularly in low-lying areas.
Wahab said the local government’s workforce was on standby and monitoring the situation. He pointed out that the storm water drains of the city were working normally, saying that Sharea Faisal and all the other thoroughfares were clear.
According to the Pakistan Metrological Department’s (PMD) data, the highest amount of rain in Karachi was recorded at 59mm in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, followed by 34mm in Quaidabad, 32.8mm in Orangi Town, 31mm each at the Jinnah Terminal and in Saadi Town, 29.5mm in the old airport area, and 23.5mm in Korangi.
Moreover, 23mm of rain was recorded on Shahra-e-Faisal, 20mm in Nazimabad, 18mm each at the PAF Base Masroor and in North Karachi, 16mm in Keamari, 15mm in DHA, 12.5mm at the Met Office on University Road, 10mm in Gadap Town, and less than 3mm in Saddar and in Surjani Town.
