Death toll reaches 21 as rain lashes Karachi, interior Sindh

At least 21 people have died in rain-related incidents in the port city and interior Sindh since Thursday, rescue officials said, as numerous roads of the metropolis flooded and several areas were without electricity as monsoon showers hit the city for the third consecutive day on Sunday.

Twelve of the victims died after they received fatal electric shocks, while three other persons died in wall collapses, Edhi Foundation and Chhipa officials said.

Victims include 12-year-old Sana who died in Gulshan-e-Maymar, 18-year-old Faisal in Korangi, 22-year-old Jalal in Federal B Area, 25-year-old Abbas in Gulistan-e-Johar, 25-year-old Inayat in Hussainabad, 40-year-old Haider Ali in Orangi Town and two unknown people ageing between 30 and 40 years in Nayaabad and New Karachi.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old boy Osama died after he fell from the third floor of a building on Khayaban-e-Ittehad. The boy suffered injuries to the head.

Two people were also killed in the different incidents of roof and wall collapsing in the city. According to Edhi Foundation, the 32-year-old woman, Jaweria, died after a portion of her house roof cave in on her in Qaimkhani Colony, Baldia, while an elderly person, Hamd Ali, was also killed in a similar incident in North Karachi.

Later in the evening, a boy drowned in the Malir River. Babar Ali is said to be the nephew of Sindh Assembly member Sajid Jokhio.

The spell that continued from a day earlier turned into heavy showers Saturday morning, and soon exposed the city’s vulnerable infrastructure.

The rains also resulted in massive traffic jams and gridlocks in various parts of the city.

Accumulation of rain water on various thoroughfares affected the smooth flow of traffic.

Sindh’s newly elected Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah visited some flooded areas of the city personally and ordered authorities to take immediate steps to free roads of rainwater.

-Power woes-

Meanwhile, a section of the city’s residents was left wondering if they could make it to work, and many opted to not take the risk as all major thoroughfares were submerged in rainwater.

Sharea Faisal, MA Jinnah Road, II Chundrigar Road, Saddar, Bilawal Chowrangi, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, DHA, Karsaz, University Road, Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Bath Island were some of the flooded areas.

Some 400 feeders of K-Electric (KE) tripped due to the rain, leaving most of the metropolis in dark. Although most of the feeders were stored, some areas remain without electricity as KE teams work to restore the remaining feeders.

Areas without power included Garden, Clifton, Saddar, pockets of DHA, Lyari, Gizri, North Nazimabad, Liaquatabad and Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

A KE representative declined to provide Dawn.com a time by which electricity was expected to be restored in the entire city.

On Friday, the city underwent a similar situation as two men died due to electrocution, which has become a regular feature after rain spells here.

The Met Office earlier described the fresh spell as a “moderate to heavy rainfall” and said that the trend was likely to continue for at least for 24 hours.

Meanwhile, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed grief over the deaths in rain-related incidents in Karachi and interior Sindh.

In a statement, he asked the Sindh cabinet and the elected representatives to remain alert in their respective areas during the monsoon. He also asked the relevant authorities to ensure that rain water was drained out within the shortest-possible time.