A car breaks down near the KDA roundabout in North Nazimabad.—White Star
In East district, University Road remained the worst affected area where hundreds of vehicles were seen lined up after sunset due to accumulated rainwater. Similarly, in Central district construction works on key traffic intersections made the situation difficult for vehicular traffic.
Deaths from electrocution
The Nabi Bakhsh police said that Rahim Shah, 25, died when he accidently touched a live electric wire in the old city area near the Jubilee furniture market late on Sunday night.
A spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation said that 18-year-old Danish died from electrocution when he touched an electric pole near the Khwaja Ajmer Nagri police station in North Karachi.
Twenty-year-old Asif was electrocuted while working in a factory in SITE.
In the fourth incident, 26-year-old Wajahat Ali died when he suffered an electric shock inside his home in Bijli Nagar of Orangi Town.
Hours-long power failures
Apart from casualties, the thunderous rains left major parts of the city without electric supply for hours.
The affected areas included Clifton, DHA, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, North Nazimabad, F.B Area, North Karachi, Orangi Town, Korangi, Landhi and Baldia Town, etc.
According to a KE spokesperson, its teams remained alert following forecast of rain and responded swiftly to restore electricity in the affected areas.
He said that while waterlogging in a few low-lying areas caused difficulties in the restoration work, power supply to strategic installations, including key hospitals, KWSB pumping stations and airport remained unaffected.
Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2019