— 29 dead in Karachi, 150 nationwide in less than a month
— Met department forecasts more rains
— Balochistan floods leave 65 dead, entire villages submerged
KARACHI: Torrential rains caused widespread flooding and damage in the country’s financial capital Karachi on Monday, the second day of Eid ul-Adha, even inundating the business district, officials and residents said.
Most underpasses were flooded and there was nowhere to pump the flood waters out to, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told reporters.
He said an unprecedented 126 millimetre rain had fallen in three hours.
At least six deaths had been confirmed in the latest spell of Monsoon rains, adding to the 29 reported since they began last month.
According to the police, five men were killed by electrocution in various areas while one died due to a wall collapse. Further investigation was underway, the police said.
The streets of posh neighbourhoods such as the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) and Clifton were flooded, with water gushing into houses.
DHA doob gya – Karachi’s posh DHA becomes a veritable lake pic.twitter.com/ZFNPyFVsr7
— omar r quraishi (@omar_quraishi) July 11, 2022
The situation was particularly dire in the middle- and lower-middle-class areas where entire neighbourhoods remained submerged on Monday. Commuters were left stranded in places or attempting to wade through knee-deep water on foot or on bicycles.
Some residents arranged for boats to move them to safer places. “At the moment, the situation is like this that we need to travel by boat rather than in vehicles as the roads are flooded,” said one resident, Abdul Raheem.
Other Karachi residents said they were forced to abandon their cars on submerged roads and walk through waist-high water. Authorities summoned paramilitary troops and the Navy to help with efforts to drain the waters from flooded streets and evacuate people.
RESCUE SERVICES
Karachi’s main streets, which house financial institutions and bank headquarters including the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), were also flooded and rescue services were using boats to reach stranded people.
Chief Minister Shah directed all relevant departments to expedite work to address the rain emergency. After a visit to several water-logged areas along with Karachi Administrator Barrister Murtaza Wahab and other officials, he issued instructions to immediately drain the road leading to Jinnah Hospital from Taj Mahal Hotel so vehicles shouldn’t face problems reaching the hospital.
He also issued orders to deploy suction pumps across the city to speed up the drainage of water.
He also called a meeting at the Chief Minister’s House to discuss the situation.
The Pakistan Navy was also taking part in the relief and rescue operations, it said in a statement.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic losses due to torrential rains in Karachi,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Twitter. He offered every possible support for the Karachi administration.
Just spoke to CM Syed Murad Ali Shah. Deeply saddened by the tragic losses due to torrential rains in Karachi. I am confident that Sindh govt will rise to the occasion & bring life back to normal under the able leadership of CM Sindh. Have offered to extend every possible support
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) July 11, 2022
The highway linking Quetta city to Karachi was also closed for traffic as sections of it were swept away by flash floods.
Poorly built homes — particularly in rural areas — are prone to collapse in floods, which also destroy huge tracts of prime farmland.
The worst floods of recent times were in 2010 — covering almost a fifth of the country’s landmass — killing nearly 2,000 people and displacing 20 million.
‘FLOODED’ BALOCHISTAN
In Balochistan, about a dozen villages in the Lasbela district were submerged as the Winder River overflowed and water flooded into houses.
Hundreds of people have been displaced and more than 50+ people died due to flash floods in Balochistan in last weeks. If it’s not Climate Crisis then what it is? pic.twitter.com/0taCJJBMpC
— Yusuf Baluch (@yusufbaluch) July 11, 2022
The Navy and local officials had rescued about 500 people and local administration from the affected villages so far, government official Farhan Suleman Ranjho told Reuters.
The rains are said to be almost twice as heavy as the average downpour at this time of the year. They started in mid-June, initially causing havoc in Balochistan, where 65 people have died so far.
Authorities are delivering tents, food and other essential items to hundreds of rain-affected people in Sindh and Balochistan.
. Iranian Red Crescent Responding to 51 villages inundated in flooding in Sistan Balochistan #سیستان_و_بلوچستان #سیلاب ، 448 affected victims for assistance and 37 relief rescue teams responded to #floods, pic.twitter.com/47wUf6jTP0
— Atta Durrani (@AttaDurraniIFRC) July 11, 2022
The metrological office has forecast more rains in the coming days.
🚨IMMEDIATELY get the city BACK UP! #Karachi may not get heavy rain today or tomorrow but it is surrounded by fresh thunderstorms as strong low pressure starts to move towards us.
-Parts of DHA & Clifton remain flooded & without electricity since yesterday. pic.twitter.com/kvu81sSB2V
— Pakistan Weather Portal (@PWP_Weather) July 11, 2022
150 DEAD
Monsoon rains over the past month have killed at least 150 people as downpours continue to lash the country, triggering flash floods in some parts of the country.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said 91 women and children are among the dead so far. The monsoon rains also damaged homes, roads, five bridges and power stations across the country.
At least 163 people were also injured in rain-related incidents since June 14, it said in a statement.
Heavy rains and flash floods fully or partially damaged more than 1,000 houses across the country.
Heavy rain also struck Islamabad and Punjab, killing at least 23 people since last month.
Experts say climate change is the cause for the heavier than average downpour in Pakistan.
Every year, many cities in Pakistan struggle with the annual monsoon deluge, drawing criticism about poor government planning. The season runs from July through September and experts say rains are essential for irrigating crops and replenishing dams and other water reservoirs in Pakistan.
Parts of southern Pakistan have faced drought since earlier this year.
Rain wind/thundershower is expected in Islamabad, upper and central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eastern Balochistan, Kashmir and lower Sindh during the next twelve hours. Heavy falls are likely in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, upper Punjab and Kashmir.
Temperature of some major cities recorded this morning: Islamabad twenty-five degree centigrade, Lahore thirty, Karachi twenty-eight, Peshawar twenty-seven, Quetta twenty-four, Gilgit twenty-two, Murree seventeen and Muzaffarabad twenty-three degree centigrade.
According to Met Office forecast for Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, cloudy/chances of rain-thundershower with isolated heavy falls is expected in Srinagar, Jammu, Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Baramulla, partly cloudy with chances of rain and thundershower in Leh.
Temperature recorded this morning: Srinagar, Pulwama and Baramulla eighteen degree centigrade, Jammu twenty-seven, Leh thirteen, Anantnag and Shopian nineteen degree centigrade.
In this regard, the Balochistan government on Tuesday imposed section 144 in the province amid forecasts of more heavy rains.
According to the notification, under section 144, people will not be allowed to go for picnic at rivers, dams and other water bodies.
Swimming in rivers and water streams will also be banned, it said, adding that the ban will remain in place for a period of one month.
Moreover, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday provided relief goods to the province.
Amongst the items, family tents and de-watering pumps have been included to assist the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Balochistan in providing relief to the rain affectees.
It is pertinent to mention here that rains in Balochistan and Sindh have exceeded the 30-year record in July this year and the month is not even over yet.
