Nine, including two minors, die from electrocution as rain lashes Karachi

KARACHI: At least nine people, including two minors, lost their lives due to electrocution as rain lashed the provincial capital of Sindh since early Monday morning.

According to rescue sources, two children died due to electrocution while playing in the rainwater in the Malir area of the city. Another two people were killed due to electrocution following rain in the Paposh Nagar area, while the other deaths took place in Defence, Cilfton, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, and Khamosh Colony areas.

The latest deaths raised the number of casualties from rain-related accidents in Karachi to nine.

The continued downpour, which initially started with light drizzle as early as 6:00AM, continued until the evening, with heavy downpour later in the day inundating several parts of the metropolis.

The highest level of rainfall, 60 millimetres, was recorded at Saddar, while Surjani Town received 50mm, Faisal Base area 45mm, North Karachi 42mm, and Nazimabad 39mm of rain, according to the Met Office.

The Met Office said widespread rains and wind-thunderstorms with isolated heavy falls were expected to continue in Karachi and other parts of Sindh province on Tuesday as well.

According to the Director MET, the monsoon system will likely end on Wednesday and there was not much chance of rain in the first week of August.

Educational institutions to remain closed on Tuesday

Meanwhile, the Sindh education department announced that schools, colleges, universities and all educational institutions in Karachi would remain closed on Tuesday.

Examinations scheduled at the Karachi University, the province's largest varsity, NED University of Engineering and Technology, and the Federal Urdu University were also postponed. New dates for the examinations would be announced later, said the administration at the varsities.

Following the first spell of rain early in the morning, around 400 feeders of the Karachi-Electric (KE) power supply company tripped. The KE spokesperson said power was being supplied to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

In the nearby city of Hyderabad, heavy rains wreaked havoc and roads were mostly inundated. At several places, residents faced sheer difficulties as water entered houses and electric supply was suspended too.