Six die in rain-related incidents: heavy showers continue

As the heavy showers continued on Tuesday, life in the metropolis came to a grinding halt and at least six people lost their lives in rain-related incidents. The incessant rains also disrupted the intra-city, inter-city and inter-province transport system. Due to heavy rainfall, intra-city and inter-province train services were also affected and trains ran four to seven hours behind schedule.
Shalimar Express and Karakoram Express arrived seven hours late. Shah Rukan-e-Alam Express and Sukkur Express departed from Cantt Station Karachi after a delay of five hours. At least two people were electrocuted separately in Sher Shah and Baldia Town. The first electrocution took place in Sher Shah, Muhammadi Colony where 35-year-old Talib Husain was killed during contact with an electricity pole.
He was shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH). A man was electrocuted as he tried to repair water pump in Swat Colony, Baldia Town. He was also shifted to ASH through rescue service. In another incident, an 18-year-old youth was drowned in rainwater drain near Musharraf Colony.
The body of the victim was fished out, but he could not be identified till our going to press. Two children were also drowned while playing in rainwater at Gujjar Nullah near Mirajabad. Hospitals ran short of paramedical staff while attendance in the offices remained thin.
Majority of paramedical staff in the Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) at various city hospitals remained absent forcing the night shift staff to work in the morning as well. The entry and exit points of some of the hospitals were closed due to accumulation of rainwater. Water also entered some of the wards.
Both central gates of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) were submerged in rainwater while water also gushed into Ward-20, Special Ward, Eye Ward, College of Nursing, TB OPD and Emergency Centre of the hospital. Same was the case with National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD) where the central gate partially fell into the accumulated water.
In Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), the rainwater entered Emergency Centre, OPD, Orthopaedic Ward Unit-III, Surgical Ward and School of Nursing. Spencer Eye Hospital, Sobhraj Maternity Home and ASH were also affected as the rain continued till late in the evening. The routine activities in the public sector universities were also hit. Attendance in universities remained thin. Students, who came to attend classes, were forced to return to their homes due to absence of teaching staff.