Rescue efforts ongoing as rain continues in Karachi for second day
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Rescue workers laboured to assist residents stuck in rain-accumulated water and clear blockages as the fifth spell of the monsoon season continued for the second day in Karachi on Saturday.
Edhi volunteers used boats to rescue people stranded in different areas after Friday's heavy rains as their operation continued late into the night and on Saturday.
Pakistan Army soldiers also took part in the rescue work, helping residents wade through rainwater and removing obstructions in flooded areas. No deaths were immediately reported on Saturday.
The flooding of roads led to the closure of Korangi Crossing, and with both tracks of the Korangi Causeway already sealed, traffic was diverted to Jam Sadiq bridge, according to the traffic police.
According to the Met department, a maximum 16.5 millimetres of rain was recorded in Sujrani Town until 8pm, followed by Gulshan-i-Hadeed (17mm), Saddar (12mm), North Karachi (9.6mm), Keamari (8mm), Jinnah Terminal (7mm), PAF Faisal Base (5mm), Karachi-MOS (3mm), Saadi Town (2.4mm), PAF Masroor Base (2mm), University Road/Jauhar (1.4mm) and NazimaTbad (1mm).
Meanwhile, a meeting of the coordination committee of the federal and Sindh governments regarding Karachi's betterment was held to review efforts to clean the city's stormwater drains. The meeting was attended by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and other provincial ministers, chairman P&D, federal ministers Asad Umar, Ali Zaidi and Aminul Haq, secretary planning and chairman National Disaster Management Authority.
The meeting decided to remove encroachments in order to clear blockages in the nullahs, Sindh Minister for Local Government Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, who attended the meeting, said in a statement.
He said an operation to remove encroachments where no people are residing will begin from Monday, while alternate arrangements will be made to house people living in illegal settlements on drains.
On Friday, at least seven people were killed, four of them drowned, in rain-related incidents across the metropolis as the latest monsoon spell lashed the city.
The movement of traffic came to a grinding halt due to roads being submerged by rainwater while the power supply system showed no improvement as many areas were deprived of electricity till late in the night.
A Met official told Dawn the current wet spell was likely to stay till Monday with chances of moderate to heavy rains in different parts of the city.
Imtiaz Ali is a Karachi-based reporter for Dawn with over 25 years of experience in the field. His reporting portfolio encompasses crime, politics, and the provincial legislature, alongside coverage of the courts, government affairs, and the health sector.
