KARACHI, July 30: At least five people lost their lives in rain-related accidents as heavy storms with thunder and lightning struck many parts of the country on Sunday.

The driving rains wrought havoc on the electricity network across the country. Clogged storm drains in cities caused rainwater to continue to stand on roads hours after the downpour.

Lower Sindh farmers said the cotton crop and main vegetable crops — tomatoes, onions and chillies — had taken a severe knock in the monsoon rains. However, they added, the paddy and sugarcane crops would benefit from a long wet spell.

Two men died from electrocution in Nawabshah.

A man lost his life near the Mehran Hotel in Karachi when an electricity wire knocked off by strong winds on Sharea Faisal fell upon him.

Two men died when they overbalanced and fell into the surging waters of an open drain in Karachi.

Trains travelling to and from Karachi came to a halt when rainwater displaced three spans of a bridge near the Ranpathani station, 78kms from Karachi.

A spokesman for the meteorological department said rainfall in Karachi, Nawabshah and Parachinar exceeded the 20mm mark on Sunday.

He said torrential rains were likely to lash Sindh and eastern and southern Balochistan on Monday. Quetta also received the monsoon rains on Sunday.

An official of the flood forecasting division said: “There is low flood in the Indus River at Tarbela, Kalabagh and Chashma, in the Chenab River at Marala, Khanki and Qadirabad and in the Ravi River at Balloki.”