Emergency declared in Karachi

KARACHI: Following the prediction of first monsoon shower by the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation has imposed an emergency in the city from Wednesday as pouring rain is also expected today.

According to the Met office, rain/thundershowers with isolated heavy falls are expected at a number of places in Islamabad, upper Punjab (Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Lahore and Faislabad divisions), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), lower Sindh (Hyderabad, Karachi, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad divisions) and Kashmir until Thursday (today).

Pakistan Disaster Management Authority issued an alert on Wednesday on the third day of Eid after the city experienced thunder, lightning and a downpour. In the first three hours of the rain, 19 millimetres was recorded.

Over 100 buildings in Karachi in Lyari and Saddar Town were declared dangerous by the Sindh Building Control Authority as likelihood of rains in the city increased.

Rain first hit the eastern side of the city, with Steel Town, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, the area surrounding the airport, Sharae Faisal’s surrounding areas, Drigh Road and Korangi experiencing the first drops of monsoon rain.

Four people died in the city after being electrocuted in Keamari, Orangi, Sher Shah and Lyari.

Power supply due to safety purposes was suspended to most the areas during the rainfall. These areas included Malir, Korangi, and areas surrounding the airport, Saddar, Keamari and Landhi, Nazimabad, North Karachi, Buffer Zone Liaqatabad, Federal B Area and North Nazimabad, according to the utility.

However, the city went through frequent power outages across the city, as 400 K-Electric (K-E) feeders tripped.