The Sindh government on Wednesday ordered the closure of all educational institutions in Karachi following heavy monsoon rains and a weather advisory from the Met Office.
“All the educational institutions (public/private) will remain closed within the territorial jurisdiction of Karachi Division,” said a notification by the Karachi commissioner, dated September 9.
A notification issued yesterday by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecasted “intermittent rain/wind-thunderstorm” today with maximum temperatures ranging from 27 to 29 degree Celsius.
“The minimum temperatures are expected to range between 25 and 27 degree Celsius, with 85 to 95 per cent humidity in the morning and 80 to 90pc in the evening,” the notification mentioned. As of 8am on Wednesday, Karachi had received 47.7mm rainfall, according to PMD.
Last night, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah instructed the Rescue 1122 teams and the district administration to work through the night and evacuate people trapped in rainwater, shifting over 350 citizens to safety.
According to Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan, joint efforts with the Pakistan Army resulted in the rescue of 10 people in Saadi Town.
“Near Saima Society, two men, three women and six children were safely moved,” Khan told Dawn.com. “Eight people were trapped in Nashr Basti and Isa Nagri due to waterlogging,” he added.
Due to widespread rain[1], two teenagers had also died from electrocution yesterday and another had drowned in the city.
The Met office said[2] the deep depression that had been causing rains in Karachi and Sindh would gradually move towards Balochistan and turn into a well-marked low-pressure area.
Several hundred straw-mud houses in the rural areas of Tharparkar and Dadu districts were swept away as the two districts had been receiving intermittent heavy, moderate and light spells of monsoon rains for the last six and four days, respectively.
More to follow.
References
- ^ widespread rain (www.dawn.com)
- ^ said (www.dawn.com)