First monsoon spell batters city

Six people, including three minors, died while two others were injured in rain-related incidents in the city as this year’s first spell of monsoon rainfall battered the metropolis. A three-year-old girl died after the wall of her home collapsed in Malir’s Shamsi society, a spokesperson for the Edhi Foundation said. Separately, a 70-year-old woman died in a similar incident in Liaquatabad’s Angara Goth, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital Police Surgeon Dr Muhammad Saleem said. The body was brought to the hospital for completing legal formalities. Further, another two men died after the roof of a house collapsed in Ibrahim Hyderi. They were taken to a nearby government hospital in rickshaws, he said. Meanwhile, two minors were killed and two others were injured after a wall collapsed at their home in Ibrahim Hyderi, the Edhi spokesperson said. All four children were initially injured and taken to Indus Hospital for treatment, he said. Data from the meteorological department showed that 43mm of rainfall was recorded in Saddar, the highest out of all the areas in the metropolis, followed by 26mm in PAF Faisal Base and 22mm in Nazimabad. Further, 12mm of rainfall was recorded at PAF Masroor Base, 8.8mm at Jinnah Terminal, 3.1 mm in Landhi, 1.2 mm in Surjani and 0.6 mm University Road/Johar. Apart from Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Nagarparkar, Hyderabad, Sanghar, Khairpur, and Jamshoro also received rainfall with thundershowers, the department said. Around 3mm of rainfall was recorded in Hyderabad, 2mm in Sukkur and 1mm in Jacobabad, the data showed. In light of the risk of electrocution, K-Electric urged citizens to remain indoors and ensure they take precautions, including staying away from trees and electricity poles and to avoid handling electrical appliances with wet hands. On Sunday, Director Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) Sardar Sarfaraz had said that rainfall is expected to continue for three days in Karachi. “We expected rainfall from tonight, however, the rainfall system is still developing in the North-West of the city,” he had said adding that another system was also developing in South-East of the city.