Islamabad, August 20 (H.S.):
Pakistan’s economic hub and port city Karachi was left crippled on Tuesday as torrential monsoon rains wreaked havoc, submerging large parts of the metropolis and leaving at least 10 people dead. The casualties were reported due to electrocution, drowning, and collapsing walls amid the chaos.
The Sindh government, alarmed by the scale of destruction, appealed to residents to refrain from routine work on Wednesday and declared a public holiday for all government, semi-government, autonomous, private institutions, and schools across the province.
According to Geo News, widespread power outages plunged many neighborhoods into darkness while mobile and internet services remained disrupted for several hours. Gulshan-e-Hadeed recorded the heaviest downpour, receiving 170 millimeters of rainfall. Several residents in Malir and surrounding districts remain stranded as streets, homes, and underpasses lie submerged in waist-deep water, evoking grim memories of the catastrophic floods of 2022.
The Express Tribune reported that Karachi’s already fragile infrastructure crumbled under the relentless downpour, which lashed the city from early morning until sunset, disrupting daily life and turning major roads into rivers.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced a province-wide shutdown and later received a call from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who reviewed the emergency situation.
Meanwhile, rains have also battered 15 districts of Balochistan. Provincial disaster official Mohammad Younus confirmed that dozens of houses were damaged in two districts, while the main highway linking Sindh to Balochistan has been shut for heavy vehicles due to flash floods.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned of more severe downpours in Sindh and Balochistan in the coming days. With strong monsoonal winds continuing to sweep in from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, low-lying districts such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Badin, and Sujawal face a heightened risk of flooding.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
