KARACHI: At least 11 people died of either electrocution or drowning in different parts of the metropolis as the fresh spell of rains that began on Sunday crippled life in Karachi on Monday.

By the end of the first half of the day, the city had received up to 204 millimetre, or 8.03 inches, rain. However, life returning to normal in many parts of the city in the second half of the day.

However, the Met office predicted more rains that would continue intermittently till Wednesday (tomorrow).

“The system is very much there. The latest data analysis suggests that the rain will continue,” said city weatherman Dr Sardar Sarfraz. “We may see moderate to heavy rains in Karachi and lower Sindh areas till July 27.”

City receives over eight inches of rain in two days; downpour to continue till tomorrow

By Monday afternoon, the PAF Masroor Base received the highest amount of rainfall i.e. 204mm, followed by Keamari (188.5mm), Saddar (164mm), Surjani Town (157.3mm), Gulshan-i-Hadeed (154mm), DHA Phase II (126mm), Quaidabad (111.4mm), Orangi Town (108.5mm), Nazimabad (106mm), Gadap Town (103.6mm), North Karachi (99mm), Faisal Base (88.5mm), Saadi Town (85.1mm), Gulshan-i-Maymar (81.8mm), Old Terminal (81.7mm), University Road (81mm), Korangi (75.7mm) and Jinnah Terminal (65.2mm).

Five die from electrocution

At least five persons died of electrocution on Monday while three died because of similar reasons on Sunday.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that the body of Waqar Deedar, 26, was brought from the SITE area to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH). He died of an electric shock. Police said that the victim was a factory worker and he suffered an electric shock while working.

The police surgeon said Salamat Rakha, 53, was brought dead to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK). The Baghdadi police said that he suffered an electric shock near Naghman Masjid in Lyari.

A man and his teenage daughter died from electrocution in Lyari on Monday evening. City SSP Shabbir Ahmed Sethar said that Hafeeza, 10, suffered an electric shock as she tried to plug the UPS inside her fifth floor apartment in Bihar Colony in Chakiwara. Her father, Abdul Rehman, 35, rushed to save his daughter, but he also suffered an electric shock and died. The bodies were shifted to the CHK.

The police surgeon said that the fifth victim, identified as Abdul Aleem, 15, died when he suffered an electric shock in Al-Fatah Colony, Jehangirabad. The body was brought to the ASH for medico-legal formalities.

Six drown

A teenager girl, identified as Sakina Murad Ali, 14, drowned in a pond filled with rainwater at Long Goth on Northern Bypass. Mochko SHO Chaudhry Shahid said that the girl was swimming in the rainwater-filled pond when she drowned. The body was shifted to the CHK.

Heavy flow of rainwater swept away a man and his motorbike in the Malir area. Malir SSP Irfan Bahadur said that the incident took place in Darsano Chanu on Monday morning at around 6:00am. He said the body could not be recovered till late in the night.

Another man, identified as Amir Mumtaz, 23, drowned in the Lyari river in Gulshan-i-Iqbal near Imtiaz Supermarket.

In another incident in the Lyari River, a 15-year-old boy, identified as Asif Sarwar, drowned in Lasi Goth. Area police officer Azam Jakhrani said three boys drowned in the river while swimming. The residents rescued and saved two children, aged around eight and nine years. However, third one drowned and the body could not be recovered till late in the night.

A six-year-old boy, Ahmed Ali, drowned in a rainwater-filled pond in Surjani Town near Al-Anas Hospital, said the police surgeon. The body was recovered and brought to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

A 17-year-old boy, Bilal Atta, drowned in a drain in Clifton near Ziauddin Hospital. The body was recovered by Edhi volunteers.

West-SSP Dr Farrukh Raza said the police saved two persons from being drowned in accumulated rainwater in Surjani Town.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said that they rescued and saved five youths from drowning in the Malir river.

City limping back to normality

In the evening, the city started to limping back to normality as rainwater on major arteries receded. The Sindh government had declared a public holiday on Monday in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions.

The city administration was seen taking extra efforts by using more manpower and deploying resources to clear the key road links.

Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab Siddiqi took to social media to post updates of relief and drainage operation across the city. Apart from some pockets in district South and few other parts in PECHS, Defence, the major roads of the city including Sharea Faisal, M. A. Jinnah Road, University Road, Shershah Suri Road, Shahrah-i-Pakistan, Rashid Minhas Road, Garden Road, etc, had been cleared for vehicular traffic.

However, there was no word from city administration including Sindh government’s Solid Waste Management Board, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB), Cantonment Boards and DHA about situation in residential areas, streets and a large number of societies where rainwater still standing.

Despite claims from the city administration life remained miserable in several low-lying areas, residential neighbourhoods, housing societies and commercial centres that remained submerged by rainwater.

A senior KWSB official conceded that the situation in almost across Karachi would take time to normalise.

“The rainwater is almost drained out from all major roads and thoroughfares but it’s the overflowed sewerage lines in almost all city districts, which have become a challenge in residential areas. We have deployed more resources and hired temporary staff to meet the challenge but it would take time to complete the job,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2022