KARACHI: At least 185 houses have been affected as seawater entered the coastal belt of Karachi, including Rehri Goth neighborhood of Liaquatabad Town, and Lath Basti in Rehri Bin Qasim Town as a tropical cyclone ‘Kyarr’ developed in the east-central Arabian Sea and moved west-northwestward at 860 km south of Karachi and 1,300 km east of Salalah city of Oman.
According to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Agha Rafi Ullah, over 500 people have been evacuated from the affected coastal belt. In a media talk, he said that temporary camps were being set up for the affectees to stay.
Edhi officials said that the situation in the Ibrahim Hyderi area was out of danger.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) assured that “none of Pakistan’s coastal areas is under direct threat from approaching Super Cyclonic Storm ‘Kyarr’.”
In an advisory issued today, the PMD warned fishermen against venturing deep into the sea and said that, under the storm’s influence, rain is expected in lower Sindh and the Makran Coast in the coming days.
According to PMD, the cyclone is likely to move in the northwestern direction towards Oman over the next few days. The Tropical Cyclone Warning Center will continue to monitor the storm’s movement, the advisory said.
According to PMD director, the wind intensity, expected to be between 230-265 km, can cause a sandstorm in some cities in Sindh, including Karachi.
Some areas in Karachi were reported to be flooded due to a rise in sea level. No damage was reported.
