KARACHI: A teenager and a woman were among five people that died when strong winds coupled with dust storm hit the city on Wednesday night while a huge fire erupted in a cattle pen that killed eight calves, said police and rescue services officials.

Most of the deaths were caused due to collapsed walls and roofs, as well as a fallen signboard.

A 15-year-old boy Farhan Farid was killed when a wall collapsed in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block-13.

In another similar incident in Faqira Goth of Gulshan-i-Maymar, 42-year-old Saeed died while two other persons were injured.

Twenty-one-year-old Faisal Shabbir was killed when a big signboard fell on him on Superhighway near Bahria Town, said an Edhi Foundation spokesperson.

In Saadi Town, Block-5, an unidentified 60-year-old woman was killed when a wall of a home fell, said a Chhipa spokesperson.

In Taiser Town, an unidentified 45-year-old man died when a wall collapsed.

Meanwhile, a huge fire broke out in a cattle pen in Sector-9 of Surjani Town. Police said due to strong winds, electric wire snapped and fell on grass which set off the fire.

Eight calves perished in the fire, however no person was hurt in the incident.

Man drowns off Do Darya

A man drowned in the sea near Do Darya on Thursday, Darakshan police said. They added that the body of the man, in his mid-30s, was found floating at the beach.

The body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre to fulfil legal formalities. His identity could not be ascertained immediately. Later on, the body was shifted to the Edhi morgue. A police officer said they were not sure as to whether the man committed suicide or it was a drowning incident.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2020