At least seven people have been killed in rain-related incidents as a heavy downpour lashed Karachi on Tuesday as commuters in the city were stranded for hours in massive traffic gridlocks on main thoroughfares caused by rainwater accumulation.
Monsoon rains fall across the region from June to September, offering respite from the summer heat and are crucial to replenishing water supplies. However, heavy downpours also trigger urban flooding, deadly floods, landslides and displacement, particularly in vulnerable, poorly drained, or densely populated areas. The Meteorological Department had predicted rains in the city from this week.
According to the Met Office, as of 8pm, Gulshan-i-Hadeed recorded the highest level of rain at 170 millimetres, followed by Airport Old Area with 158.5mm, Jinnah Terminal 153mm, Nazimabad 149.6mm, Surjani Town 145.2mm, Keamari 140mm, Saadi Town 140.2mm, Defence Housing Authority Phase VII 134mm, University Road 133mm, PAF Base Faisal 128mm, North Karachi 108.4mm, Korangi 132.2mm, Gulshan-i-Maymar 98mm, PAF Masroor Base 87mm, Orangi Town 66.2mm and Bahria Town 4.8mm.
The traffic police advised citizens to take precautionary measures in light of the situation, such as avoiding sudden braking, maintaining a slow speed and a safe distance from other vehicles on the road.
Visuals showed main roads and arteries of the city submerged under water with traffic stuck.
Commuters faced challenges as the hours-long rain spell led to the city’s main thoroughfares choked with traffic and long lines of vehicles with people reporting reaching home after several hours.
In another development, a statement from Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) said it was currently facing data connectivity challenges on its namesake and Ufone services.
“Our teams are diligently working to restore the services as quickly as possible,” the statement said.
Internet tracking monitor Netblocks also said its metrics showed major disruption to internet connectivity across Pakistan with high impact to backbone operator PTCL.
“Overall national connectivity is down to 20 per cent of ordinary levels,” it said.
Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn.com that four walls of a house collapsed due to heavy rains in Gulistan-i-Jauhar’s Block-12, with five family members buried underneath.
He said the department’s Urban Search and Rescue Team arrived at the spot and retrieved the five from the debris but three of them had died on the spot, a fourth succumbed to wounds during treatment while the fifth person was admitted for treatment. He said all victims belonged to the same family.
Haseeb said an eight-year old child was also killed when a wall of a house collapsed due to the rain in Orangi Town near Khalil Market. He said a Rescue 1122 team rushed to the spot and recovered the body, which was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.
The spokesperson further said that a man died from an electric shock in North Karachi, adding that the body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for legal formalities.
In another incident, Haseeb said a man was burnt to death while two others suffered critical burn wounds when a fire erupted at a petrol pump in Malir. He told Dawn.com that the fire, suspected to be caused by a short circuit, occurred around 3:48pm at the petrol pump in Malir-15.
He said three people suffered critical burn wounds and were moved to a hospital but one of them succumbed to his injuries while the other two were in critical condition.
Haseeb said both petrol pump staff and Malir Senior Superintendent of Police Abdul Khaliq Pirzada told the rescue team that a short circuit triggered the fire.
Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Haider Shah directed the district administration, the Sindh Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), the health department, and Rescue 1122 to remain on high alert amid the situation.
He ordered the immediate drainage of rainwater and instructed the relevant administrations to remain in contact with the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) and the PDMA.
“All deputy commissioners should be present in the field with their staff,” the chief secretary said.
Separately, PMD, in a weather advisory, forecasted intermittent rains to continue throughout the day.
The minimum temperature is expected to remain at 28 degrees Celsius, while the humidity will be 85 per cent.
On the status of power outages in the city, the K-Electric spokesperson said that the power distribution system was stable with over 1,340 out of 2,100 feeders supplying electricity as of 4:15pm.
“As per safety protocols, power supply is temporarily disconnected in low-lying areas and regions with encroachments and electricity theft through illegal connections. Accumulated rainwater in various areas is causing difficulties in power restoration efforts. Restoration work in affected areas will commence as soon as accumulated rainwater recedes and safety clearance is received from ground teams,” the spokesperson said.
A weather forecast from the PMD at 4pm predicted “torrential rains” in Sindh and parts of Balochistan in the next couple of days.
“Strong monsoon currents from Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are continuously penetrating the country especially the southern parts,” the PMD said.
It added that under the influence of the above, widespread rain-wind/thundershower (with scattered heavy falls, at times very heavy) were expected in Mithi, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tando Allayar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sanghar, Jamshoro, and at scattered places in Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur and Jacobabad from August 19-22 with occasional gaps.
The PMD said rain-wind/thundershower (with scattered heavyfalls) were expected in Balochistan’s Barkhan, Musakhel, Loralai, Sibbi, Zhob, Qilla Saifullah, Khuzdar, Lasbella, Awaran, Kech, Gwadar and Panjgur from Aug 19-22 with occasional gaps.
It added that subdued rain-wind/thundershower were expected at isolated places in Islamabad, Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Rawalpindi, Attock, Murree/Galliyat, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujrat, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Rajanpur, Dir, Chitral, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Mohmand, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan and Swabi from Aug 19-22.
The PMD warned that torrential rains may cause urban floods in Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tando Allayar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sanghar and Jamshoro from Aug 19-22.
It also cautioned that torrential rains may generate flash floods in north/southeastern parts of Balochistan from Aug 19-22.
It advised all authorities to remain alert and take necessary measures to avoid any untoward situation.
A day prior, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired an emergency meeting to oversee preparations for the monsoon rains.
A press release from his office said CM Shah put all the local bodies, administration and traffic police on high alert, and directed them to strengthen coordination between the relevant departments and organisations.