ISLAMABAD, July 9, 2020 (BSS/XINHUA) – At least 15 people were killed and scores of others injured in separate rain-related accidents in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi over the last two days, local media reported on Thursday.
Most of the fatalities happened due to electrocution incidents in the streets which were inundated by the rain water, and because of the fall of electric cables, Geo News said.
Apart from electrocution, roof and wall collapse incidents also caused fatalities in the city. A multi-storey building collapsed due to seepage of rain water in its walls on Wednesday, but no loss of life was reported as the authorities had already told the residents to vacate the building owing to its dilapidated condition.
The injured people including women and kids were shifted to nearby hospitals for treatment, the report added. Most of the injured people got hit by uprooted trees, boards or other flying objects in the rain coupled with wind.
The rain water also created health concerns in the areas where the infrastructure is poor, and sewers and water drainages were chocked with plastic bags, blocking the outflow of the rain water, leaving some residential colonies inundated by polluted water.
After weeks of extremely hot weather, the residents of the city found solace when monsoon season started in the city on Monday, but at the same time the continuous four-day rain has created many problems in certain areas.
Electric poles were also uprooted in several areas of the city, resulting in hours-long suspension of electricity supply.
The provincial disaster management authority of Sindh province, where Karachi is located, earlier issued a warning of urban flooding in parts of city and others areas of the province.