KARACHI: Three persons were killed in rain-related incidents as another spell of monsoon hit the city on Sunday, causing inundation in several localities, disruption of power supply and submerging of many roads and streets, officials and witnesses said.

A 35-year-old man, Saleem Haji, died from electrocution near Dhobi Ghat in Lyari, an Edhi Foundation spokesperson said.

In another incident, 18-year-old Habib­ullah died when he suffered electric shocks in Moria Goth near Chhota Gate of the Airport.

Five picnickers, including three siblings, drown in Hub river

A Chhipa spokesperson said that a 30-year-old man, Abdul Sattar, was killed and his brother, Sagar, 25, injured when the roof of their home fell on them near Banaras Colony in Orangi Town.

The moderate to heavy rain lashed several parts of the metropolis. A visit to different areas showed that localities and roads were submerged by rainwater.

Several areas of the city’s centre, Saddar, were under accumulated rainwater and gutters were seen overflowing on Zaibunissa Street, Empress Market and other places.

Parts of University Road, especially near Dawood University of Engineering and Technology, were submerged by rainwater, which caused slow movement of traffic.

Some parts of Sharea Faisal were also submerged, particularly near Gora Qabristan. Rainwater was also accumulated on main Korangi Road.

Both lanes of the road outside Karachi Press Club were also submerged, hindering the traffic.

Gulshan-i-Iqbal, particularly Block 13-D, was also inundated by rainwater. The same situation was also reported in the areas of Surjani Town, Nazimabad, etc.

The Malir and Lyari rivers and Thado Dam were stated to be overflowing.

A resident of Malir told Dawn that several roads and bridges connecting different villages had been damaged under the impact of rain.

According to a Meteorological Depart­ment official, the heaviest rain was reported in Surjani Town on Sunday as 40 millimetres of rainfall was reported there.

The Met official said that 39mm rain was recorded in North Karachi, 25mm in Saddar, 18mm in Nazimabad, 7mm on University Road, 16mm on Sharea Faisal (Faisal Base), Jinnah Terminal and other adjoining areas and just 2mm at Mauripur (Masroor Base).

The Met official said that moderate rain with thunderstorm was expected in the next 24 hours in the city.

Three siblings among five drown in Hub river

Three siblings were among the five persons who drowned on Sunday as a picnic of residents of Orangi Town turned into a tragedy in the Hub river, which was presumably under heavy pressure of water owing to the rains, rescue and police officials said.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said that residents of Gulshan-i-Zia Colony in Orangi Town, almost all belonging to the same family, had gone for picnic at the Hub river. They were swimming in the dam, which was stated to be filled with accumulated rainwater when five of them drowned.

The bodies of four persons were recovered while efforts were under way to retrieve the body of a small girl.

The victims were identified as Khizra, 13, her brother Hamza, 10, and her sister, Areeba, 4, Mahjabeen Jamil, 23, and Sohail Aslam, 40.

The rescue services officials said that the body of Areeba could not be recovered till night.

The incident occurred at around 5pm.

A Manghopir police official, Majid, said the recent heavy rains had filled the Hub river and there was extreme pressure of water in it.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2019