Karachi rain-related death toll rises to 15, downpour continues
KARACHI: At least 15 people died in rain-related incidents across the metropolis since Friday, rescue and relief officials said.
Ten of the victims died after receiving fatal electric shocks, three other persons died in incidents of wall collapse while two people were drowned, Edhi Foundation and Chhipa officials said on Saturday.
Numerous roads of the metropolis flooded and several areas were without electricity as monsoon showers hit the city for second consecutive day on Saturday.
The spell that continued from a day earlier turned into heavy showers Saturday morning, and soon exposed the city’s vulnerable infrastructure.
CM ventures out as rain floods city: 'Karachi is not what it used to be'
Sindh's newly elected Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah visited some flooded areas of the city personally, and ordered authorities to take immediate steps to free roads of rainwater.
Sipping tea and munching on parathas at a roadside tea stall in Saddar, CM Murad lamented the picture Karachi's roads presented after the rain spell.
"I could see today what we have done to this city in the past years," he said, regretting that despite constructing underpasses and overhead bridges, a proper drainage system was not built.
"Karachi is called the city of lights... unfortunately it is not the same now," he said, as a large part of the city suffered without electricity.
The CM said he hoped he would be able to "return the lights" to Karachi but asked for citizens' support to accomplish this task.
Power woes
Meanwhile, a section of the city's residents were left wondering if they could make it to work, and many opted to not take the risk as all major thoroughfares were submerged in rainwater.
Sharea Faisal, M.A. Jinnah Road, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Saddar, Bilawal Chowrangi, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, DHA, Karsaz, University Road, Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Bath Island were some of the flooded areas.
Some 400 feeders of K-Electric (KE) tripped due to the rain, leaving most of the metropolis in dark, DawnNews reported. Although most of the feeders were stored, some areas remain without electricity as KE teams work to restore the remaining feeders.
Areas without power included Garden, Clifton, Saddar, pockets of DHA, Lyari, Gizri, North Nazimabad, Liaquatabad and Gulistan-i-Jauhar.
A KE representative declined to provide Dawn.com a time by which electricity was expected to be restored in the entire city.
On Friday, the city underwent a similar situation as two men died due to electrocution, which has become a regular feature after rain spells here.
The Met Office earlier described the fresh spell as a “moderate to heavy rainfall” and said that the trend was likely to continue for at least for 24 hours.
