Islamabad, Pakistan
Karachi, the capital city of Pakistan's Sindh province, was hit by widespread rains on Saturday (Feb 3) night, drenching the city and inundating arterial roads. Residents of the city also had to bear the brunt of 700 electricity feeders toppling amid the downpour and plunging several areas of the city into darkness.
Dramatic footages of cars submerged on flooded roads were seen circulating online.
In a word of caution to the residents of the city, Karachi's Rescue 1122 issued a statement urging the public to stay indoors.
“The public is requested to avoid going out on the roads unnecessarily. Rescue teams are facing difficulties in emergency responses due to severe traffic jams on roads," the statement read, according to the local media.
Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) had predicted heavy rains across the city.
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Meanwhile, rescue teams have been working in various parts of the city to assist the public. So far, there hasn't been any incident of a building collapses. However, two individuals suffered minor injuries from a wall collapse. The injured were promptly moved to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment.
As per the PMD, precipitation measurements indicated 64mm of rain at Malir Halt, 63.8mm in Surjani, 75mm of rainfall at PAF Base Faisal (Shahrae Faisal), 55mm in Keamari, 51mm in the Old Airport area, and 52mm in Quaidabad.
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Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab urged residents to limit unnecessary movement, and assured that teams were actively working to clear major roads. “Issues are being addressed. Will keep people posted,” he said.
Notably, Pakistan was hit by a devastating flood during summer of 2022. It resulted in significant human casualties and economic losses. The floods claimed the lives of nearly 1,839 people and caused massive damage to the country's infrastructure.
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The immediate causes of the floods were attributed to heavier than usual monsoon rains and melting glaciers, both linked to climate change. In response to the severity of the situation, Pakistan declared a state of emergency on August 25, 2022. The floods were described as the worst in the country's history.
(With inputs from agencies)