At least five people were killed on Thursday as heavy rain lashed the metropolis, while the city administration declared an emergency.
According to police and rescue officials, the deaths occurred in separate incidents; four people died due to electrocution while a fifth was killed due to a crumbling building amid the heavy rainfall.
Separately, Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told the media that heavy rains adversely affected the structure of a three-storey building near Bismillah Hotel in Pak Colony. The wall of the second floor collapsed, trapping a passerby under the debris. The rescue team retrieved the man from the rubble and took him to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
According to the official data, the highest rainfall was recorded in Nazimabad (Paposh Nagar) at 69.6 millimetres, followed by Kemari with 56mm and Saadi Town with 48mm.
Meanwhile, other notable areas included University Road at 44.2mm, Bahria Town at 43.5mm, and Orangi Town at 39.4mm. Gulshan-e-Maymar recorded 36.0mm, while Jinnah Terminal and Surjani Town each received 35.0mm. The Old Area Airport recorded 32.6mm, Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Phase II 33.0mm, and PAF Faisal Base 30.4mm.
Lower amounts were observed in North Karachi with 28.8mm, PAF Masroor Base 29.0mm, Korangi 18.2mm, and Gulshan-0-Hadeed 17.0mm.
A PMD official said a hailstorm was reported from the Mauripur area of the metropolis.
On Friday, Karachi Division is expected to see partly cloudy weather with “chances of light rain/drizzle”, with mostly sunny skies forecasted on Saturday, when mercury can hit 30-32°C during the day.
A K-Electric spokesperson, in a statement, said: “As a safety measure, power supply may be temporarily suspended in some areas; it is restored after rain subsides and clearance from field teams [has been received].”
In a later update, the KE spokesperson said, “After heavy rain and hailstorm, KE’s power distribution system remains stable; uninterrupted electricity supply continues from around 2,000 out of over 2,100 feeders.”
A rain emergency has been declared in Karachi in view of the rain situation.
Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi said the city administration has activated measures to deal with the rainfall, adding that citizens could contact the rescue helpline at 1299 for any complaints or assistance.
The staff of relevant institutions has been deployed under the supervision of assistant commissioners, he added.
He said that the staff of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) and the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB), town administrations, and necessary machinery and vehicles were active, and work to drain accumulated water from the roads was underway.
“They will perform relief work and grievance redressal duties, including helping in water drainage traffic problems,” he said.
To deal with the rainfall, all deputy commissioners have been directed to remain alert, and concerned officers to stay in the field.
In addition, rain emergency help desks and camps have been established in various districts and subdivisions at the instructions of the commissioner.
Further, the Sindh government appealed to citizens to exercise caution during rainy weather. Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said that, in view of the rains, advance arrangements had been made and the leaves of essential staff had been cancelled.
Additional de-watering pumps have been installed for the timely drainage of rainwater from low-lying areas, he said, while drainage chokepoints at various locations in the city have already been identified. Staff have been deployed to monitor these chokepoints, he added.
“The officers of the relevant provincial government institutions and local government institutions have been instructed to remain in the field on high alert,” he added.
Memon asked citizens to follow precautionary measures and contact the relevant institutions immediately in case of an emergency.