Two killed, two injured in Pakistan's flash flood

At least two people were killed and two others injured on Sunday in separate rain-related incidents in Karachi and Peshawar as heavy downpour lashed parts of Pakistan.

According to the Dawn newspaper, Pakistani Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that the body of a 40-year-old man was brought from Karachi's Lea Market near Memon Masjid to Civil Hospital Karachi. The cause of death was electrocution, she added.

The Pakistan Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said that at least one person died and two were injured due to heavy rains in Peshawar in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, flash floods triggered by heavy rains caused massive destruction in the Kandia tehsil of Upper Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday as at least 50 houses and mini-power stations were washed away, an official said.

Tehsildar (Revenue Officer) Muhammad Riaz said that around 50 houses were swept away in the floods in Upper Kohistan, adding that he has constituted five teams that have been dispatched to the affected areas for relief work and the assessment of losses.

While, a local activist from Kandia, Hafeez-ur-Rehman said that "a "massive flood" hit two villages in the Kandia tehsil where he estimated that around 100 houses were washed away, rendering scores of people homeless. However, no casualties were reported as of now, the Dawn reported.

A large number of cattle were also killed while water supply systems in four villages -- Dansh, Berti, Jashoi and Dangoi -- were damaged, though fortunately, families managed to evacuate before the floods reached the villages, Hafeez-ur-Rehman added.

He said the locals had initially started rescue work and shifted affected families to safer locations.

A resident of Kandia district, Aziz Khan, spoke of the challenges of being cut off from the electric grid and potable water. He said that the suspension of electricity and water supply has "put the entire area in trouble".

KP's Dassu headquarters Assistant Commissioner Hafiz Waqar Ahmad said that some heavy machines of the Dassu hydropower project also came under rubble dislodged by flooding at Uchar Nala, however, the losses were not significant.

The PDMA said 23 houses were partially damaged while 14 houses were completely damaged in Karachi.

Similarly, several houses were swept away in the Upper Chitral's Boni area due to flash floods caused by heavy rainfall. The PDMA said areas of Lower Chitral were also affected by the rains.

Tehsil Chairman Chitral Shehzada Aman said that the Garam Chashma Road was closed for traffic due to landslides, adding that the floodwater also damaged houses in Gobor and Daneed villages.

Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab said it had been "raining constantly" in Karachi since early morning.

The K-Electric (KE) spokesperson said that the power utility had received reports of rainfall in different parts of the city and urged citizens to be careful while using electrical appliances and to maintain a safe distance from billboards, electricity poles and under-construction buildings in case of strong wind, the Dawn reported.

He warned that the power supply in low-lying areas may be interrupted due to the accumulation of rainwater.

In the latest weather advisory issued on Sunday, the PMD said strong monsoon currents "continually penetrate in Sindh since last night" and would prevail till July 26-27.

"Under the influence of this weather system, widespread rain-wind/thunderstorms with scattered heavy/very heavy falls (extremely heavy at times) are likely in Tharparker, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Tando M Khan, Tando Allayar, Hyderabad, Matiari, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Khairpur, Sukkur, Larkana, Jacobabad, Dadu, Jamshoro, Shikarpur, Qambar Shahdadkot, Ghotki and Kashmore districts and Karachi division from today to July 26-27," the PMD said.

The department warned that heavy rainfall could result in urban flooding/waterlogging in low-lying areas of Karachi, Hyderabad, Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Tharparker, Tando M Khan, Tando Allayar, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Dadu, Jamshoro, Kambar Shahdadkot, Larkana and Sukkur during the forecast period, the Dawn reported.

"Strong winds may damage vulnerable and loose structures. The persistent heavy spell over Khuzdar, Lasbela, Hub and along Kirthar Range may create pressure on Hub Dam and flash Flooding in Dadu and Jamshoro districts," it added.

The highest amount of rainfall received during the last 24 hours was in Quaidabad (4.5mm), followed by Saddar (4mm), Korangi (3mm), Gulshan-i-Hadeed (3mm), PAF Masroor base (2.4mm), Orangi Town (2mm), University Road (1.5mm), PAF Faisal base (1.5mm), Keamari (1.4mm), Jinnah Terminal (0.8mm), DHA Phase 2 (0.6mm), North Karachi (0.6mm) and old airport area (0.6mm), data from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) showed.

The monsoon season in Pakistan this year has wreaked havoc in Sindh and Balochistan. Earlier, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said that rains in the provinces have broken 30-year records.

( With inputs from ANI )