14 more dead in rain-related mishaps

Death toll in two days reaches 19; Karachi’s poor management exposed as administration fails to drain rainwater from several roads; residents of several areas continue to put up with power outages; rainwater mixed with sewage floods homes in some low-lying areas

Karachi

Fourteen more people died in rain-related incidents in Karachi on Saturday, taking the total death toll in the two days of rainfall to 19.

The rainfall that started in the city on Friday continued throughout the day in intervals in different parts of the metropolis on Saturday while the citizens had to put up with power breakdowns on the second day of rain as well.

A 10-year-old boy, Abdullah, was electrocuted near Manghopir shrine when he touched a shop’s shutter which was in contact with a live wire. A girl was electrocuted in Ahsanabad near Gulshan-e-Maymar.

The Chhipa Welfare Association said Nauman, 10, was electrocuted in Gulshan-e-Bihar Colony, Orangi Town

Another case of electrocution was reported in Jodia Bazaar. The man, who was in his 40s, was yet to be identified. His body was shifted to the Civil Hospital.

Rescue services also said Salman, 17, was electrocuted in Kala Board, Malir. His body was shifted to the Jinnah Hospital.

A Man in his 40s was electrocuted near Baldia School, 4K Chowrangi in New Karachi. His body was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The body of another electrocution victim, Jalal, 22, was shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital from Federal B Area, Block-7.

Two men, Umair, 28, son of Haji Shafi Muhammad Memon and a resident of Memon Goth, and Baber Ali Jokhio, 18, a nephew of Pakistan People’s Party lawmaker Sajid Jokhio and a resident of Jokhio Goth, drowned in Malir River while swimming.

The PPP lawmaker said his nephew and his friends had gone to the river to swim but were carried away by the waves. Their bodies were not found by the time this report was filed.

An Edhi Foundation official said they had shifted the body of Osama, 25, who had fallen off the third floor of a building on Street 9/C off Khayaban-e-Ittehad, to the Jinnah hospital.

The Edhi Foundation said two people Javeria, 32, and Hamid Ali, 65, had died when the roofs of their homes collapsed in Baldia and North Karachi respectively.

On Friday, Sana, 12, was electrocuted in Gulshan-e-Maymar. The body of a man in his 30s, who had died of electrocution, was found in Nayabad, Lyari. Faisal, 18, was electrocuted in Korangi No 4. A man in his 40s had died of electrocution in New Karachi. Hyder Ali, 40, was electrocuted in Chishti Nagar, Orangi Town Sector 11½. His body was also shifted to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital  Inayat Ameer, 25, had died in Hussainabad when a live wire fell on him Abbas, 25, had died of an electric shock in Gulistan-e-Jauhar

Rain stats

Chief meteorologist Abdul Rasheed told The News that Karachi received light to moderate but constant rain on Saturday. “The rainfall wasn’t as heavy as it was on Friday,” he added.

In the last two days, Sharea Faisal received 55mm rainfall (40mm on Friday and 15mm on Saturday), Gulshan-e-Hadeed 54.5mm, (45mm on Friday and 9.5mm on Saturday), PAF Base Masroor 51mm rain (25mm on Friday and 26mm on Saturday), Landhi 47mm (35mm on Friday and 12mm on Saturday), North Karachi 44.8mm (32mm and 12.8mm), airport 41mm (36mm on Friday and 5mm on Saturday), and University Road 39mm rain (34mm on Friday and 5mm on Saturday). The Met Office had not received entry for the rainfall measured in Saddar on Saturday. However, it had rained 30mm there on Friday.

Rasheed said the city was likely to receive more rain on Sunday (today) but its intensity is likely to be less.

He added that chances of rainfall on Monday were slim although there could be a drizzle.

The official said the minimum temperature recorded in the city on Saturday was 24 degrees Celsius whereas the maximum was 30 degrees Celsius. The humidity was 81 percent. The maximum temperature on Sunday is likely to remain between 31 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

Hub Dam water level

Though the rainfall has brought much misery to the lives of the residents of Karachi, there is also good news that the water level at the Hub Dam has increased to 290 feet, which would help in overcoming the city’s water shortage problem.

An official said the water level was checked at 3:30pm on Saturday. He added that the dead-level of the dam was 276.3 feet while the dam it was below that for quite some time.

He said in case of more rains in the dam’s catchment area, the water level would increase further.

Power outages

The rainfall again exposed Karachi’s poor management as many roads and streets were still inundated by the time this report was filed.

The K-Electric’s poor distribution system too was exposed as citizens had to put up with power outages both on Friday and Saturday.

Rainwater accumulated in several low-lying areas including Urdu Bazaar and Saddar causing massive traffic jams

The residents of Nazimabad said both underpasses in their area were inaccessible for hours as they were filled with rainwater.

It took the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation several hours to drain the rainwater and enable commuters to use the underpasses again.

In many areas of the city, rainwater mixed with sewage and several localities were flooded with filth.

In a few low-lying areas including Musa Colony, rainwater mixed with sewage flooded residents’ homes.

Pipeline fixed

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Board fixed a 72-inch diametre water supply pipeline on Saturday. The pipeline had ruptured on Friday after power supply was suspended.

A KWSB official said because if the ruptured pipeline, water supply to over 20 million citizens was suspended for hours.   

Feeders tripped

The K-Electric said the rainfall on Saturday morning had caused its feeders to trip in some areas including Garden, Clifton, Lyari, Gizri and some parts of North Karachi. It added that the power supply to Dhabeji and Gharo was also restored on a priority basis after a breakdown there. 

The power company said only 200 of its 1,450 feeders were affected and its rain emergency response teams have immediately fixed them.

A KE spokesperson said the power company’s rain emergency response teams were working round the clock to tackle any and it apologised to all its consumers for the recent disruption of supply in the city.

The spokesperson said in some areas the teams were dealing with broken wires and accumulated rainwater. “The restoration work in these areas is being carried out with the support and cooperation of the town managements,” he added.

Fire at shopping centre

A fire broke out at the Gold Mark Shopping Mall in Defence Phase-I, engulfing two floors and 100 shops. It broke out at 12:05am and was extinguished by 8:30am using 17 fire tenders and a snorkel.

The shopkeepers there said the fire had occurred because of a short circuit and goods worth millions were gutted.