By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: Torrential monsoon rains have killed at least 17 people in Karachi, Pakistan’s financial capital, since Tuesday, submerging roads, cutting power to thousands, and disrupting air travel, officials said Wednesday, as the city braced for more downpours.
Relentless showers left major thoroughfares strewn with stranded vehicles and potholes, with floodwater lingering in areas like the Old City, Aram Bagh, Sindh High Court, Liaquatabad, and University Road. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) recorded 178 millimetres of rain in Gulshan-e-Hadeed and 145 millimetres on University Road in the past 24 hours, overwhelming Karachi’s drainage system, designed to handle just 40mm.
The deaths, caused by collapsing walls, electrocutions, and a fire triggered by a short circuit, underscored the perilous conditions brought by heavy rainfall, which has already killed 707 people across Pakistan since late June, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
In Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 12, a densely packed residential area, a house wall collapsed onto adjacent huts, killing four people, local officials said. In Orangi Town Sector 11, another wall gave way, fatally crushing an eight-year-old boy, according to Chhipa, a local rescue organization.
Elsewhere in the city, at least four people died from electrocution in North Karachi and Shah Faisal Colony, where floodwaters likely exacerbated unsafe electrical conditions. In Malir, a man was fatally burned when a short circuit sparked a fire at a petrol pump, officials reported. The grim tally of rain-related deaths added to the chaos that paralyzed Karachi, a metropolis of over 20 million, as major roads turned into rivers and power outages darkened swaths of the city.
Police confirmed children and a woman were among the dead. In one tragic case, a 70-year-old disabled man drowned in his PECHS home after reportedly falling from his bed into accumulated rainwater.
The heavy rainfall, which began Tuesday morning and continued through the evening, overwhelmed Karachi’s dilapidated drainage systems, flooding key arteries like Shahrah-e-Faisal, M.A. Jinnah Road, and University Road.
Drainage crews worked through the day to clear key arteries like Karsaz and Malir Halt, where vehicles remained stuck. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said main roads were largely open but waterlogging persisted in some areas. “Drainage efforts are continuing where rainwater has accumulated,” he told reporters, noting that 3.024 million cubic feet of debris had been cleared from storm drains to ease water flow.
“The city received over 235mm of rainfall—far exceeding its drainage capacity,” Wahab said. “Basic steps are needed to expand drainage capacity, but this requires land and faces resistance from residents, making the task difficult.” “Traffic is moving, but slows down where water remains on the sides of roads. Overall, the situation has improved.”
Power outages compounded the chaos, with 240 of Karachi’s 2,100 electricity feeders still down, leaving areas like Gulistan-e-Jauhar, North Nazimabad, Malir, Korangi, and DHA without power for over 24 hours. K-Electric, the city’s power supplier, said 1,550 feeders were operational, but flooded roads had disrupted fuel deliveries and repair efforts.
“As soon as rainwater drainage is completed and safety clearance is received, the remaining areas will be restored,” K-Electric spokesperson Imran Rana said, listing restored areas including parts of North Nazimabad, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Korangi, and Defence Housing Authority. “Stay away from electrical installations and poles,” he urged.
Flight operations at Jinnah International Airport were thrown into disarray, with domestic flights cancelled and international schedules delayed as staff struggled to reach duty stations. The Sindh High Court and subordinate courts closed due to flooding, by order of the Chief Justice.
The PMD warned of more showers, with isolated heavy falls, through Thursday, driven by monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Widespread rain is forecast across Sindh, including Mithi, Tharparkar, Hyderabad, and Thatta, until August 22, raising fears of fresh urban flooding. “We are expecting more intense rains,” said Anjum Nazir, a Sindh meteorological department spokesperson, quoted by Reuters.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, inspecting the Nursery nullah, lashed out at residents for defying a public holiday meant to keep them indoors. “The government declared a public holiday so citizens would stay home, yet people still came out,” he said, gesturing at heavy traffic. “Is this a public holiday?”
Shah said municipal teams were draining rainwater, with 11 of 14 underpasses cleared. “When it rains, water will accumulate, and once the rain stops, drainage will be expedited,” he said, admitting infrastructure gaps but insisting “the government is on the ground and actively working.”
He rebuked the media for filming waterlogged roads instead of relaying safety instructions. “Everyone must have a sense of responsibility,” Shah said, noting Karachi’s 200mm of rain in 12 hours on Tuesday far exceeded the city’s average 2-3mm, or 30mm in heavy downpours.
Tuesday’s rains crippled Karachi’s fragile infrastructure, bursting drains and halting industrial operations. Power and internet outages hit several areas, prompting the provincial government to declare a public holiday.
Karachi Traffic Police reported closures at underpasses like Shaheed-i-Millat, Drigh Road, and Nazimabad, and roads in Korangi, advising alternate routes and a 1915 helpline. Wahab, however, shared X videos of clear routes like Sher Shah Suri Road and Shahrah-i-Pakistan, though a late evening Google Map screengrab showed widespread blockades.
At a press conference, Wahab framed the crisis as part of global climate change. “If you want to make someone a target of criticism, you can. But you can see how huge a challenge climate change is for any government,” he said, comparing Karachi’s plight to recent deadly rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, where 400 died last week.
Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate-driven disasters has become increasingly stark. The 2022 floods, which killed 1,739 people and caused $40 billion in damages, were a stark reminder of the country’s exposure to extreme weather, exacerbated by climate change. Scientists note that rising temperatures have made monsoon rains more erratic and intense, with a recent study by World Weather Attribution finding that rainfall from June to July was 10 to 15 percent heavier due to global warming. Pakistan, which contributes less than 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, faces disproportionate impacts, experts say.
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