NDMA puts Karachi on flood alert as heavy rains pound city again
As heavy rains lashed Karachi on Tuesday, roads turned into virtual rivers and drains overflowed, leaving citizens stranded without any visible relief measures. PHOTOS: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS/AGENCIES
National Disaster Management Authority’s (NDMA) Emergency Operations Centre said extremely heavy rainfall is expected over the next 12–24 hours in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and adjoining areas.
According to the statement, more than 50 to 100 millimetres of rain could fall in a short period. Owing to intense rainfall and inadequate drainage, the danger of urban flooding remains in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Mirpurkhas.
In addition, flash floods are feared in Thatta, Badin, Jamshoro and Dadu districts, while rising water levels in the Indus River and its tributaries could trigger flooding in low-lying areas.
Second spell of rain hits Karachi on Wednesday as the city reeled from record monsoon downpours a day earlier that left at least 11 people dead, inundated neighbourhoods, disrupted power supply and damaged roads.
Rain was reported around Sharah-e-faisal
Also reported around Kala Pull
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Wednesday said the city’s recent downpour was part of the wider challenge of climate change, which has also destroyed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir in recent days.
Addressing a press conference, he said global warming and climate change were a reality and a test for administrations worldwide, citing the situations in New York, Dubai and Mumbai.
Read: Wahab pins Karachi torrential rain damage on climate change
The mayor said the heavy rains left residents facing difficulties, with criticism and political point-scoring further exacerbating the situation. He noted that Karachi’s stormwater drains have a capacity of only 40mm. “When rainfall exceeds this amount, consequences become evident,” he said.
He posted on X, urging citizens to avoid Shaheed-e-Millat Road as clearing work was underway at the underpasses, and advised using Stadium Road or Shahrah-e-Quaideen as alternatives.
Please avoid using Shaheed e Millat Road at this point of time. Work is being carried out to clear the underpasses. Alternate of Stadium Road or Shahrah e Quaideen can be used
Traffic diversions also remained in place across the metropolis amid the lingering aftermath of the deluge.
PMD spokesperson Anjum Nazir Zaigham forecast that thunderstorms with rain could begin across Karachi within the next two hours.
He warned that due to expected rainfall today and tomorrow, there remained risks of urban flooding.
Rain relief efforts continued through the night and by Wednesday morning, Sharah-e-Faisal was mostly cleared, as was Shahrah-e-Bhutto. However, Korangi Crossing near Qayyumanbad remained flooded and closed from either side.
Vehicles were diverted from Qayyumabad Chowrangi towards Baloch Colony and from the CNG cut towards Godown Chowrangi, Express News reported.
The EBM Causeway Road near Mehmoodabad was also shut, with diversions set from Mehmoodabad towards the Expressway and from Godam Chowrangi towards Qayyumabad and Shan Chowrangi.
On Sharae Faisal, the track from the airport remained closed because of deep potholes and accumulated water, forcing traffic diversions from Star Gate.
Tariq Road underpass on Shahrah-e-Millat and Drigh Road Underpass towards the airport were also shut, with vehicles redirected to the service lane.
In Nazimabad, multiple underpasses — including Nazimabad No 1, Nazimabad No 2, Liaquatabad and the stretch linking Habib Bank to Hakim Ibn-e-Sina Road — were closed to traffic.
At Sohrab Goth, the underpass was declared impassable, with traffic from Shafiq Mor diverted over the underpass.
Urdu Bazaar
Several vehicles were stranded between Model Colony and Sharae Faisal. The Nazimabad Chowrangi underpass near Sir Syed College also remained submerged and both tracks were unusable.
Meanwhile, the road from Liaquatabad Post Office to Sindh Hotel, which caved in during Tuesday’s rains, still awaits restoration.
Trash bins were placed on the collapsed stretch to warn pedestrians.
Jehangir Road, Guru Mandir
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the heaviest rainfall was recorded in Saadi Town (181.8mm) and Gulshan-e-Hadeed (181mm). Other significant totals were logged at Keamari (173mm), Airport Old Area (163.5mm), Jinnah Terminal (156.4mm), Surjani Town (163.8mm), Nazimabad (175.6mm), North Karachi (148.8mm), University Road (149.4mm), Korangi (143.3mm), DHA Phase VII (138mm), PAF Faisal Base (134mm), Gulshan-e-Maymar (135.6mm), PAF Masroor Base (112mm) and Orangi Town (82.7mm).
Bahria Town reported the lowest at 4.8mm. Eastern and port-side areas, including Gulshan-e-Hadeed, Airport and Keamari, were the hardest hit.
🌧️🏞️ Rain turns Bahria Town Karachi into a slice of paradise, lush, fresh, and full of life. Pure bliss living here! 💫 #BahriaTown #Karachi #RainyDays pic.twitter.com/8OjrLXT5C3
Monsoon-related casualties
A young man, around 24, was electrocuted near a pole in Defence Phase 6, while another, identified as Saad Ali, 24, died near the PAF Base Post Office on Shahrah-e-Faisal.
In North Karachi’s Sector 5-A/3, 65-year-old Ishaq lost his life after an electric shock inside his home.
A K-Electric spokesperson expressed grief over the fatal incident in New Karachi and extended condolences to the bereaved family, adding that initial findings suggested the death occurred inside the home and was not linked to the company’s infrastructure.
The spokesperson urged citizens to exercise extreme caution while handling electrical appliances during rain, and to stay away from power installations and poles.
An 18-year-old motorcyclist, Yasir, died from electrocution near the Defence Gizri Bridge after an electric wire fell onto the roadside.
Separately, the body of a 50-year-old man, Muhammad Abbas, was recovered from an uncovered drain near Gurumandir. Abbas, along with his son and another man, had fallen into the drain on Tuesday night while wading through knee-deep water.
Read more: Monsoon rains kill seven in Karachi as PMD warns of continued showers
Two of them were rescued immediately, while Abbas’s body was later recovered by Edhi volunteers and shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital.
According to Chhipa, an eight-year-old boy, Abdullah, son of Abbas, died when a wall collapsed near the Aqsa Mosque in Orangi Town’s Sector 11.5. His body was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
In another incident in Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Block 12, four members of a family were killed and a child was injured after a wall of their house gave way.
The deceased were identified as Maryam, 4, Hamza, 3, and Samiya, 24, wife of Mubeen, along with another man aged around 28. A 10-year-old boy was injured in the collapse.
Residents of a building in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 18 were trapped in their flats due to rainwater accumulation and used makeshift stairs to exit the premises.
City officials said drainage operations were underway but warned that diversions and closures would persist in low-lying areas until floodwaters receded and damaged roads were repaired.
Public Holiday
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced a public holiday in Karachi for Wednesday, August 20, as the city struggled with heavy rainfall and widespread disruption.
Sindh Chief Minister @MuradAliShahPPP has declared a public holiday in Karachi on August 20 following record monsoon rains that battered the city. He urged citizens to stay indoors as more rainfall is expected.
The decision came during an emergency meeting at the CM House,… pic.twitter.com/jrpQVZVYQGThe chief minister urged citizens to stay indoors, noting that more downpours were forecast and the holiday was aimed at sparing residents additional hardship.
Also read: Sindh announces public holiday in Karachi for Wednesday
According to an official notification issued by the Commissioner’s office, the Sindh government declared August 20 a holiday in the Karachi Division, excluding essential services, due to ongoing monsoon rains and the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s advisory of further widespread showers.
Power supply update
Following the heavy monsoon rains, K-Electric’s generation, transmission and distribution system remains stable, with electricity being supplied across the city through approximately 2,000 feeders, the company’s spokesperson said.
Restoration work is underway in affected areas as soon as standing rainwater recedes and ground teams issue safety clearance, the spokesperson added.
The areas where supply has been restored include Saima Pari Centre in Surjani Town, KDA Apartments, Hill View Apartments, North Nazimabad Blocks A, C, D, I, J, K, R and S, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 10-A, Murtaza Chowrangi, Sector 21 and Sector 29 in Korangi, as well as Khayaban-e-Shamsheer, Khayaban-e-Shaheen, Gizri Boulevard and Commercial Streets 1 to 4 in Defence.
Power supply has also been restored to Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Road, Khalid Bin Waleed Road, PECHS Blocks 2 and 3, PIB, Nafeesabad and Iqbal Colony.
The spokesperson said K-Electric’s management and staff remain fully engaged and in continuous coordination with the city administration.
Citizens have been urged to observe safety precautions, stay away from electrical infrastructure and poles, and exercise caution when using electrical appliances.
For complaints, consumers can contact the 118 call centre or reach out through K-Electric’s social media platforms.
Internet connectivity
A significant internet disruption hit Pakistan on Tuesday evening, severely impacting connectivity nationwide. According to the global internet observatory NetBlocks, national internet access dropped to just 20% of normal levels.
Also read: Internet outage hits Pakistan as connectivity drops to 20%
⚠️ Confirmed: Metrics show a major disruption to internet connectivity across #Pakistan with high impact to backbone operator PTCL; overall national connectivity is down to 20% of ordinary levels 📉 pic.twitter.com/BbS1NSdivM
"Metrics show a major disruption to internet connectivity across Pakistan with high impact to backbone operator PTCL; overall national connectivity is down to 20% of ordinary levels," NetBlocks reported in a post on X.
Former telecom employee Naval Vaswani said, “I have worked in telcos for 6 years previously. Basically, two things happen: power failures cause telco sites to go offline, and some have power backups, which have high revenues. Networks are planned in a cluster way so customer load is managed. A few sites are going offline due to cluster shifts, load to online sites, which causes degradation.
People are stuck in traffic in large numbers, generally, which causes extra load on telco sites. Some hardware has a limitation ranging from 200–400 users. If that threshold is exceeded, the service degrades.”
She further added, “Power outage with low or no backup, data has limitations for distance compared to voice and there are areas where there is no blanket coverage, resulting load on a few nearby connected towers. Heavy rain and wind/thunderstorms can degrade signal quality, reduce coverage, and potentially cause outages.”