Authorities in Pakistan’s Sindh province declared an emergency in Karachi on Tuesday after flash floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains left at least seven people dead and brought the country’s largest city and financial hub to a grinding halt.
The torrential downpour inundated major roads, disrupted power supplies, and forced thousands of residents to wade through waist-deep water. Many commuters returning from schools and workplaces were stranded for hours as vehicles broke down or were abandoned on submerged streets. Water also entered houses in low-lying areas, compounding the misery for millions of residents in the metropolis of more than 20 million people.
In an official notification, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) announced a “Rain Emergency” across the city. It directed municipal services, the fire brigade, and the urban search and rescue (USAR) departments to establish emergency cells and coordinate efforts with all essential service departments. Local authorities urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel as rescue teams worked round the clock to manage the crisis.
Sindh’s education department also ordered the closure of all schools and colleges in Karachi on Wednesday due to the dangerous conditions.
According to Hassaan Khan, spokesperson for Sindh Rescue 1122, at least seven lives were lost in separate incidents: four in Gulistan-e-Jauhar when a house wall collapsed, one child in Orangi in a similar collapse, and two people electrocuted in North Karachi and Defense.
The flooding once again exposed Karachi’s crumbling urban infrastructure, where even moderate rainfall often leads to chaos, prolonged power cuts, and severe risks to residents. The crisis has heightened fears of a repeat of the devastating 2022 floods, which submerged a third of Pakistan, killed more than 1,700 people, and caused economic damages of around $30 billion.
This year’s monsoon season has already proven deadly nationwide. Since it began on June 26, at least 707 people have died, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Nearly 400 fatalities occurred in northern Pakistan after intense cloudbursts triggered flash floods. Officials warn that two more heavy rain spells are expected before mid-September, further raising concerns about large-scale destruction.
As rescue and relief operations continue in Karachi, residents remain on edge, bracing for more rainfall and the possibility of worsening conditions in the days ahead.
