Karachi educational institutions ordered shut as 17 killed amid heavy rains, flooding
KARACHI: All educational institutions in Pakistan’s financial hub Karachi will remain closed on Thursday, the Sindh College Education Department said in a notification, as the city reels from heavy monsoon rains and urban flooding that have killed 17 people this week.
The intense monsoon downpours, which began in Karachi on Tuesday, have killed 17 people according to the Rescue 1122 emergency service. Major arteries of the city were flooded with water, leaving citizens stranded for hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. News outlets reported that several areas of the city remained without power for over 24 hours till Wednesday night.
Private weather forecasting company WeatherWalay said the city experienced “an extraordinary rainfall event” from Aug. 19-20, recording the highest 24-hour precipitation in over four decades when it received between 150-259 millimeters of rainfall across various locations. The development prompted authorities to close businesses and educational institutions on Wednesday.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, meanwhile, said most of the city’s roads, including its major thoroughfares and important underpasses, were cleared for traffic on Wednesday morning.
