At least 32 people have been killed so far, mostly from electrocution, in Multan, Karachi and rest of country as monsoon rains continued to lash the country on Thursday, Edhi officials told South Punjab News.Torrential rain on Thursday wrought havoc on the creaky civic infrastructure of Multan, causing massive urban flooding and widespread power outages, as the Pakistan Meteorological Department said the first monsoon spell was likely to lose its strength in the next 24 hours.The downpour — which began in the city on Wednesday night — intensified on Thursday morning, dumping a total of 67.4mm (a little over two inches) of rainfall over 48 hours. The Met Office said the monsoon , yielding more rainfall there than anywhere else in the country.Rescue officials and police said five people including two children lost their lives in rain-related electrocutions and collpasing of a home and walls in Multan city .Water and sanitation agency (WASA) made extra ordinary arrangements to pump out and sucking the stagnating water in temporary cattle markets for sacrificial animals. All the low lying areas like Farooqpura,Shaheen Market, Pak-gate,Bohar gate,Delhi gate,Khuni Burj,Bava Safra,Chowk Shah Abbas, Peer Colony No.1,2,3, Suraj Kund road, Pull Mauj Darya road,Hassanabad were flooded with two feet deep water.Rain badly hit the sale and puyrchase of sacrificial animals. Heavy rain in the wee hours of Thursday morning lashed several areas of the city after receiving moderate showers on Wednesday night.Downpour wreaked havoc on the power supply system and municipal infrastructure as electrocution and falling billboard incidents left at least 13 people injured in different areas of the Multan.The situation further turned even worse due to flooding of low-lying areas as the Meteorological Department forecast new spell of monsoon rain till Friday coupled with thunderstorm. Adjacent cities like Muzaffargarh, Shujabad, Jalalpur pirwala,Kabirwala, Khanewal,Shershah, Muzaffarabad,Bosan, Lodhran. Basti Malook also received heavy rain.The agriculture department advised cotton farmers to drain out rainwater from fields which could affect the crop’s growth. According to officials source, recent spell of rain could be dangerous if rainwater accumulated for 24 hours in the fields. The officials asked farmers to drain out water with help of motor pump towards fields of paddy, fodder or sugarcane. They advised that if farmers were unable to drain water from any field, then they should dig up four feet deep and two feet lengthy holes to accumulate water from fields. The ongoing situation of cotton crop was satisfactory and farmers should take immense care of their crop, the sources added..In one incident, an eight-year-old child was killed when a building belonging to the Federal Investigation Agency collapsed in Clifton area in the aftermath of heavy rain, Karachi South DIG Azad Khan confirmed.
After the incident, the minor's body was shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where Executive Director Dr Seemin Jamali confirmed the death of the child. Officials are still engaged in removing the debris from the collapse, the DIG added.
The Karachi administration has requested that the Pakistan Army assist them in managing the effects of torrential rains in the city, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
According to the ISPR, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s has instructed the army to extend full support to the city administration.
The army has provided water extraction pumps to the city administration, the ISPR said.
Earlier in the day, commuters faced difficulties reaching offices while majority of schools remained closed as the rain, which started late Wednesday night, flooded roads of the metropolis.
On the other hand, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah — who is currently in Makkah for Hajj — called Sindh Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro and Transport Minister Nasir Shah to express concern about the situation in the province.
Shoro and Nasir Shah briefed CM Murad Ali Shah after they had inspected various areas of the city to assess the situation.
While talking to Health Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro via telephone, the Sindh chief minister directed that the emergency departments at all government should hospitals remain stocked and the availability of doctors at all government health facilities is ensured throughout the province.
The chief minister also directed the Sindh chief secretary to ensure that the Provincial Disaster Management Authority is helping citizens as rain lashes throughout the province.
