Seven killed as heavy rain paralyses Karachi
Mayor declares rain emergency after 145mm downpour floods residential neighbourhoods, key intersections
Monitoring Desk
KARACHI: At least seven people were killed in Karachi on Tuesday after heavy monsoon rains battered the city, flooding neighbourhoods, paralysing traffic and knocking out power, prompting the mayor to enforce a rain emergency.
Dark clouds covered the city by afternoon, followed by heavy showers with strong winds in areas including Surjani Town, Federal B Area, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Qayyumabad, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Malir, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Nazimabad, and New Karachi.
Rainwater quickly inundated major roads and residential streets, with severe flooding reported in Gulshan-e-Hadeed, where water entered homes and forced residents to shift valuables to higher ground. Key intersections such as Hasan Square, NipaChowrangi, Jail Chowrangi, Liaquatabad, Korangi, Karsaz and the Expressway also witnessed heavy waterlogging, bringing traffic to a near standstill.
On the directives of Mayor MurtazaWahab, a rain emergency has been enforced across Karachi, with all teams placed on high alert to respond to urban flooding, traffic disruptions, and other rain-related incidents.
Rescue officials said seven people lost their lives in rain-related accidents. According to Chhipa, a wall collapse near Aqsa Mosque in Orangi Town’s Sector 11.5 killed an eight-year-old boy identified as Abdullah, son of Abbas. His body was shifted to AbbasiShaheed Hospital.
In Gulistan-e-Jauhar’s Block 12, four members of a family were killed and a child injured when a house wall gave way. The victims included Maryam, 4; Hamza, 3; and Samiya, 24, wife of Mubeen. Another man, around 28, also died, while a 10-year-old boy sustained injuries.
According to data from the Meteorological Department, Gulshan-e-Hadeed received the heaviest rainfall at 145mm, followed by the old area of Karachi Airport with 138mm, Keamari 137mm, Jinnah Terminal 135mm, University Road 132mm, and DHA Phase VII 121mm. PAF Faisal Base (Shahrah-e-Faisal) recorded 114mm.
Other parts of the city also witnessed significant downpours, including Surjani Town (111mm) and North Karachi (108mm). Korangi saw nearly 97mm, while Nazimabad logged 92mm.
Areas such as Orangi Town (66mm), Gulshan-e-Maymar (75mm), and PAF Masroor Base (75mm) also experienced heavy showers.
Downpour chokes main city arteries: Heavy downpours also paralysed traffic across city, leaving commuters stranded for hours as key roads were inundated with rainwater.
Power supply disrupted: Karachi’s electricity system collapsed once again after heavy rainfall, with K-Electric’s claims of stability proving hollow as more than 609 feeders tripped.
The power utility’s distribution system remained unstable as outages made life difficult for citizens across several areas. According to reports, feeder breakdowns were recorded in Baldia (68), Bin Qasim (52), Defence (50), Gulshan-e-Iqbal (46), Gulistan-e-Jauhar (62), Korangi (59), Orangi (82), Society (68), Surjani (57), Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, and Othal, Balochistan (17).
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed all concerned departments to remain on high alert during the ongoing monsoon rains. He instructed rescue services and the administration to stay fully mobilised in view of heavy rainfall.
CM ordered strict monitoring of drains and the drainage system to prevent urban flooding, and directed the Karachi mayor to ensure machinery and staff remain active for the immediate disposal of rainwater.
