KARACHI, April 22: At least three people died in rain-related accidents, a paper of SSC examination was delayed and routine life was badly affected as thunderstorm hit the city on Monday afternoon.

An official at the Pakistan Meteorological Department said that the city received approximately 41 millimetres (over 1.5 inches) of rainfall during a one-and-a-half-hour spell that began at around 12.30pm and stopped at around 2pm.

He said that the weather in the city on Tuesday was expected to remain partly cloudy with chances of light rain/thunderstorm.

A 45-year-old woman and a six-year-old boy were electrocuted during two rain-related accidents in Liaquatabad No 1 and Baldia Town No 8.

In another incident, a young man died when a wall collapsed on him in Nazimabad No 7.

The sudden rain caused trouble for motorists, as almost all thoroughfares got inundated resulting in traffic jams.

The Board of Secondary Education, Karachi, which is conducting the SSC annual examinations these days, was forced to delay the Civics (Elective) paper due to the rain.

Officials said that the vehicles deputed to deliver question papers were trapped in the traffic jams and could not reach their destinations on time. Besides, a large number of students also experienced severe problems to reach their respective examination centres.

The examination centres in Gulshan-i-Hadeed were probably the last ones to get the question papers. However, invigilators and examination centre bosses, keeping in view the time lost due to a delayed arrival of papers, allowed students more time to complete their papers.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation Administrator Hashim Zaidi declared a rain emergency on Monday and cancelled the leave of all KMC staffers concerned.

He also visited various areas, including the airport, Natha Khan bridge, Malir 15, Sharea Faisal, FTC bridge, Laiquatabad, Nazimabad underpasses, KDA Chowrangi, old city areas, etc, to inspect work to drain out accumulated rainwater.

Meanwhile, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board chief Misbah Farid urged the people not to open or break manhole covers to drain out rainwater, as it would choke the main lines and severely affect the sewerage system.

The met official said that Saddar received 38 millimetres of rainfall, North Nazimabad received 35mm; PAF Base Masroor received 13mm; Gulistan-i-Jauhar 10mm; PAF Base Faisal 8mm and Landhi 5mm.

He said that the minimum temperature recorded on Monday was 26.8 degrees Celsius, maximum temperature recorded was 35 degrees Celsius and humidity was 69 per cent.

He said that maximum temperature on Tuesday was expected to remain between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius.

According to the Met Office website, Hyderabad received 21mm rain; Jacobabad 12mm; Sukkur 3mm, Larkana 2mm and Badin received traces.

Meanwhile, police said that Najma, 45, wife of Iqbal, was electrocuted in Liaquatabad when an electric wire snapped near her house. The body was moved to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for an autopsy.

Six-year-old Naimat Khan, a resident of Keamari Town, was electrocuted in Baldia Town No 8. The body was brought to the Civil Hospital Karachi for a post-mortem examination.

Twenty-three-old Danish Ali was killed when a wall of his house collapsed in Nazimabad No 7. He was rushed to the nearby Abbasi Shaheed Hospital where he was pronounced dead by doctors.