KARACHI: Ten more people died in rain-related incidents in the city on Friday, according to police, hospital officials and rescue services.

A 14-year-old boy, Arshad, drowned and died in the inundated Clifton underpass near Two Swords. His body was brought to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), said Dr Seemin Jamali, executive director of the hospital.

Another boy, Khaliullah, drowned in a Polo Ground pond. His body was also brought to the JPMC, added Dr Jamali. He was resident of Hijrat Colony.

An Edhi Foundation spokesperson said that a 50-year-old man drowned in the inundated Punjab Chowrangi underpass on Thursday evening. His body was recovered on Friday.

Met department issues flood alerts for Sindh and Balochistan

The body of an unknown man was found floating in a stream near football chowk in Hawkesbay. The corpse was recovered and shifted to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, added the charity’s spokesperson.

The Edhi Foundation spokesperson said that 300 families were stuck in rain-accumulated water in New Nazimabad housing society. They were rescued by three teams of the charity led by Saad Edhi in boats and shifted to safe places.

The body of an unknown man, in his 40s, was recovered from a nala (drain) in North Nazimabad, Block-L, said a Chhipa spokesperson. The corpse was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

They body of an unidentified man in his mid-20s was found floating in Korangi Crossing ‘Nadi’. It was shifted to the hospital, added the charity official.

A 21-year old, Taimur Yacoob drowned in drain in Manzoor Colony whose body was shifted to JPMC. A young man drowned in a drain in Liaquatabad on Thursday whose body was recovered on Friday.

A man was electrocuted in the Defence Housing Authority.

The police said that a 30-year security guard, Javaid, was found dead from a home located on Abbasi Street in Phase-IV. The body was shifted to JPMC where doctors confirmed that he died of electric shock, said Dr Seemin Jamali.

An 18-year-old woman, Chanda Ramzan, died when she suffered an electric shock in Qayumabad. Her body was shifted to JPMC to fulfill legal formalities.

Mother, son missing

A woman and her young son drowned in rainwater and they are untraceable for three days, according to their family.

Saleem Nazeer told Dawn that his brother, Waseem Nazeer, 34, and mother have gone from Usmania Colony near Central Prisons to Korangi to offer condolence over death of their relative on Aug 25. They were traveling on a motorbike when strong waves of water took them away from Korangi ‘Nadi’. He said their whereabouts were still unknown. He urged the authorities to take efforts for locating his family members alive or dead to end their anxiety.

Meanwhile, at least 10 families were rescued when Orangi Nala overflowed and they were shifted to safer places, according to commissioner Karachi, Dr Sohail Rajput. The commissioner added that over 8,000 rain-affected people of West, Malir and Central districts were being provided food at their homes and relief camps, respectively.

Flood alerts

The Met department issued flood alerts for Sindh and Balochistan authorities on Friday as ‘another monsoon rain bearing system’ approaches these provinces.

“The system is likely to enter Sindh on Saturday. Under its influence, rain/wind thunder-showers with isolated heavy to very heavy falls are likely to occur in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Shaheed Benazirabad, Dadu, Tharparkar, Nagarparkar, Mirpurkhas, Islamkot, Umerkot, Sanghar, Sukkur and Larkana from Saturday evening till Monday,” stated the Met department website.

Rain-thunder showers with isolated heavy falls are also expected in Lasbela, Khuzdar, Awaran, Barkhan, Zhob, Musakhel, Loralai, Kohlu, Sibi and parts of Punjab, including Bhawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanpur, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan, Khanewal and Sahiwal during Sunday and Monday, it added.

The department warned that heavy rainfall might further aggravate existing urban flooding/water logging in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Mirpurkhas and Badin and generate flash flooding in Sibi, Kalat, Khuzdar, Lasbela and Dera Ghazi Khan.

Meanwhile, the weather on Friday remained largely cloudy in Karachi with few areas receiving light rain.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2020