KARACHI: As heavy rain continued for a second consecutive day and paralysed life in the metropolis on Tuesday, nine more people died in different rain-related incidents.

The death toll rose to 18 in two days and 15 of the victims died of electrocution in different parts of the city.

The K-Electric also failed to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the metropolis as many localities remained without electricity for more than 24 hours.

Fifteen people die of electrocution in two days; several areas remain without power for as long as 40 hours

In North Karachi, nine-year-old Masooma died of electrocution near her house in Sector 5-C/3. The girl met the deadly fate when she came outside her home and suffered an electric shock due to snapped electric wire that fell in accumulated rainwater.

An official at the Khawaja Ajmer Nagri police station said that the body was moved to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

In another incident, 20-year-old Atif Ali was electrocuted inside his house in Yousuf Goth in Surjani Town. The body was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Another young man, identified as 22-year-old Kamran, died of electrocution outside his house in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Block 13 D-2, when he touched an electric pole. The body was moved to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

In Defence, 45-year-old Bakht Zaman died of electrocution inside his home in Hazara Colony.

Adam Usman, 36, died of electrocution when he was switching on a water pump in his house near Juna Masjid in Lyari.

An unidentified man also died of electrocution at Macchi Miani Road in Kharadar. The body was taken to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi and then to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth for identification.

Late on Tuesday night, reports emerged of a 35-year-old unidentified man being brought to the JPMC. The man had died in a park in Mohammad Ali Society.

Child dies in roof collapse

A six-year-old boy died and five of his family members sustained wounds when the roof of their house collapsed in Solangi Goth near Superhighway.

The body and the injured persons were taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment.

The area police said that the affected house was constructed on a very weak foundation and the rains further damaged the already vulnerable structure.

No let up in power breakdowns

Several areas in the city remained without power for the past 40 hours leading to an acute shortage of water as well.

Residents from almost every part of the city kept on calling Dawn office to complain that the K-Electric neither restored power supply to their respective areas nor did its complaint centre attend their phone calls.

Mahnaz Aziz, a resident of Clifton Block 5, told Dawn that the power supply could not be restored in her locality despite the passage of 40 hours and lodging numerous complaints with the power utility.

A resident of Clifton Block 7 also said that his area was without electricity for the past 24 hours. “When we call K-Electric call centre, they tell us lies that the power would be restored shortly,” he complained.

Similar complaints were also received from Malir, Korangi, Landhi, Shah Faisal Colony, Green Town, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, Defence Housing Authority, Gulzar-i-Hijri, Shershah, Keamari, Baldia Town, Federal B Area, Golimar, Lasbela, Saddar, Soldier Bazaar, etc.

However, a KE spokesman claimed that the power supply situation in the city remained “under control” as the city witnessed rainfall for a second consecutive day.

He said that KE teams remained engaged round the clock to rectify local faults in difficult circumstances. “The K-Electric remains committed to ensuring power supply to key installations and electricity to airport, strategic KWSB pumping stations and main hospitals remained uninterrupted on the second day of rain.”

The spokesperson said that due to waterlogging, some localised faults still remained and the KE was coordinating with relevant civic agencies to ensure drainage of water to restore power supply.

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2019