Multiple deaths on Sunday brings fatality count to 36

Around 12 people drown in rainwater, five lose their lives after being electrocuted.

KARACHI: As parts of the city remained submerged in rainwater, 20 more people lost their lives on Sunday in rain-related incidences - bringing the total number of deaths due to monsoon rains up to 36. 

In a tragic incident, 35-year-old Khipro Bibi, her 11-year-old son, Kashif and their relative, five-year-old Asma, lost their lives after a wall collapsed in their house in PIA Society, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, because of the rain. Police officials said the three people were injured when the wall collapsed and were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where they succumbed to their injuries during treatment.



In Manghopir, three kids drowned while swimming in the stagnant water in Kunwari Colony. After hours of hectic efforts, their bodies were recovered by the rescuers and residents of the area and shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Later, they were handed over to their families for burial. The victims were identified as 10-year-old Wakeel Noor Khan, 10-year-old Sher Ali and nine-year-old Bashir Nazeer. Police officials said that the kids lived next to each other and were friends. Another woman drowned in Lyari River in Hassan Oliya village, Pak Colony.



Two bodies were found from the worst flood-hit areas in Karachi, Amroha Society and Saadi Town. Police officials and rescuers said that the victims drowned when the flood hit their areas. The bodies have yet to be identified.



Separately, a nine-year-old boy, who has yet to be identified, drowned in Malir River and 24-year-old Mohammad Wali also drowned in Surjani Town. Two men drowned in Malir City while two children drowned near Lodhi Park in Korangi. Rescuers were trying to locate their bodies till the filing of this report.

Electrocutions

Ali Zaman, 35, in Bhangoria Goth and an unidentified man in Maula Madad Mohalla in Lyari died of electrocution.  A young man, Ashraf, also died of electrocution in Buffer zone. His body was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.



In separate incidents, 14-year-old Abdul Rehman in Sher Shah and a six-year-old boy in New Karachi also lost their lives after being electrocuted. According to police and rescue agencies, more bodies are expected to be recovered as the rainwater clears.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2013.