Traffic in Karachi slowly resumed on Wednesday after authorities managed to clear much of the floodwater that had paralysed Pakistan’s largest city a day earlier. A powerful spell of monsoon rains struck the metropolis on Tuesday, crippling daily life and exposing the fragility of its infrastructure.
The downpour turned major roads into rivers, collapsed drainage lines, and disrupted power supply across vast areas. The Sindh government declared a public holiday on Tuesday and extended the closure of schools and colleges until Thursday as fresh showers swept the city.
According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), at least 10 people lost their lives in Karachi due to urban flooding, house collapses, and electrocutions. Officials warned that further casualties could occur as more rain systems advance.
The NDMA’s Emergency Operations Centre has cautioned residents about the risk of “extremely heavy rainfall” in Karachi and other parts of Sindh in the coming days. “Another rain spell is expected to start by the end of the month,” NDMA Chairman Inam Haider Malik confirmed.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) forecast widespread rain, wind, and thunderstorms for Thursday, with heavy to very heavy downpours in central and southern Sindh as well as southern Balochistan. Authorities issued advisories for low-lying areas in Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tando Allayar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sanghar, and Jamshoro, warning of possible urban flooding.
The PMD also highlighted risks to vulnerable structures, including kacha houses, billboards, power poles, and solar panels, while strong winds and lightning could damage vehicles and trigger flash floods in southern Balochistan.
In Balochistan, partly cloudy skies with rain and thundershowers were predicted in Gwadar, Lasbela, Ormara, Pasni, Kech, Panjgur, Khuzdar, Kalat, Quetta, and Ziarat, with heavy downpours likely in some districts.
As Karachi braces for more rainfall, its 20 million residents remain on high alert, anxiously watching the skies.
