At least 12 killed as rain wreaks havoc in Karachi

Over 400 feeders of Karachi’s power utility company tripped plunging major parts of the city into darkness

KARACHI: At least 12 people, half of them teenagers, lost their lives as spells of rain poured down in the city on Saturday.

Most of the deaths that have so far occurred were due to electrocution. Victims include 12-year-old Sana 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, SHO Amjad Anwar of Darakhshan police station said a 17-year-old boy, Osama, died after he fell from the third floor of a building on Khayaban-e-Ittehad. The boy suffered injuries in the head, he added.



Two people were also killed in the different incidents of roof and wall collapsing in the city. According to Edhi Foundation, 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 was drowned in the Malir River. Babar Ali is said to be the nephew of Sindh Assembly member Sajid Jokhio. Divers have started a search operation to recover the boy.

Sindh CM sips tea at ‘dhaba’, urges civil society help restore Karachi’s lights

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said he is committed to restore Karachi as city of lights but all this would only be possible if every citizen, irrespective of their socio-political or religious affiliation would come forward and play their due role.

"I need your help. Karachi is our home and it is our collective responsibility to keep it neat and clean," said Shah while sitting at a tea shack in Empress Market, Saddar.



The chief minister, flanked by his principal secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch and Commissioner Karachi Aijaz Khan, visited the major thoroughfares of the city after heavy downpour and inspected the situation.

While expressing his concerns about the havoc wrought by rains in Karachi, the chief minister said he has directed authorities to take immediate measures.

"I am in touch with commissioner and administrator Karachi to drain out rain water from the roads and low-lying areas. I have also talked to managing director of K-Electric to restore electricity in the areas where feeders were tripped," he said.

Over 400 feeders of K-Electric — Karachi’s power utility company — tripped, plunging major parts of the metropolis into darkness as the city received the second spell of the year’s monsoon rain.

According to the power supply company, the suspension of electricity was caused by the tripping of extra high tension wire.

All efforts are being made to re-energise the affected areas. pic.twitter.com/En6HscN9Hu

— KE (@KElectricPk) August 5, 2016

The rain, which began on Friday, resulted in massive traffic jams and gridlocks in various parts of the city, including Shahrae Faisal, Karsaz, Hassan Square, University Road, Defence, Clifton, North Nazimabad, Qayyumabad Chowrangi, Landhi and Korangi, among others.

Meanwhile, several districts of Sindh, including Sukkur and Badin, also received heavy downpour that continued for hours.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Met Office had forecast rain in lower parts of Sindh, including Thatta, Badin and Mithi.

The weather forecast indicated the temperature will remain between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius for Thursday in Karachi, according to Karachi Met office director Abdul Rashid.

The pressure system that developed in Rajasthan, India, has grown over time and has now reached rural Sindh, said Rashid, adding that the rain will continue for three days.