Floods triggered by monsoon rains crippled Pakistan’s biggest city and commercial hub of Karachi on Tuesday, with few people able to make it to work or school, officials said.

Pakistan’s already unpopular government now faces another crisis as monsoon rains which have killed 200 people sweep through southern Sindh province. In Karachi, the capital of Sindh, rain was forecast through Wednesday at least.

Many streets were impassable, cars were stuck, several fuel stations were inundated and no visible efforts were underway to drain water.

“We have recorded 50-100 mm (2 to 4 inches) of rain in Karachi and the situation is pretty bad. Many main roads and areas are inundated at the moment and it can turn even worse,” said Mohammad Hussain Syed, the city’s district coordination officer.

New flood waters have made about 280,000 homeless, destroyed or damaged 1.2 million houses and flooded 4.5 million acres since late August, disaster management officials and Western aid groups say. - Photos by Hussain Afzal