KARACHI: Sindh’s disaster authority said on Wednesday more than 300 people were rescued in Pakistan’s commercial capital Karachi after heavy rains lashed the city for several hours, inundating low-lying areas and forcing schools to shut, as a local charity reported at least two people drowned after being swept into a stream.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department warned of a new spell of rains in southern Sindh and neighboring Balochistan provinces this week, with risks of severe urban flooding in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur as well as flash floods in mountain catchments.
Torrential downpours submerged parts of Karachi late Tuesday, as authorities in Sindh were already bracing for looming “super floods” along the Indus River after weeks of record monsoon rains across Punjab, the country’s agricultural heartland, sent massive torrents downstream.
Millions were displaced in Punjab after three major eastern rivers — Chenab, Ravi and Sutlej — surged following water releases from Indian dams amid New Delhi’s efforts to ease pressure on swollen reservoirs.
“The populations living along the Lyari and Malir rivers have been the worst affected by the rains,” Sindh Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Director General Salman Shah said. “So far, 325 people have been rescued. Nine PDMA teams and 50 Rescue 1122 personnel were on standby, and about 400 workers are currently engaged in rescue operations.”
