admin 
Islamabad (manend News) Rain began pouring again in parts of Karachi on Wednesday afternoon as inundated roads due to yesterday’s heavy downpour continued to present challenges to weary citizens.
Meanwhile, the death toll from rain-related incidents since yesterday rose to eight, while Sindh and Balochistan braced for more showers in the coming days.
Tuesday’s rains severely strained Karachi’s fragile infrastructure, causing stormwater drains and sewers to burst, along with disrupting industrial operations across the economic hub. Several areas experienced hours-long power and internet services outage. Due to the severity of the situation, the provincial administration announced a public holiday in the city today.
Shortly after 2:30pm, rainfall was reported in Saddar, Malir, Malir Cantonment, Scheme 33, Gulistan-i-Jauhar Block 2, and near I.I. Chundrigar, Kala Pull Road, and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical College (JPMC).
In a post on X today, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab warned citizens: “It is expected to rain again from 2pm onwards. I would request people to avoid movement and if it starts to rain, please stay put where you are whether it is your office or residence.”
“We are expecting more intense rains,” Anjum Nazir, a spokesperson for Sindh’s meteorological department, as quoted as saying by Reuters.
The Sindh government had ordered all private and public educational institutions across the city to remain closed today, after Wahab declared a rain emergency.
Floodwater was still accumulated on multiple roads across the city, including near I.I. Chundrigar Road, as Karachi did not witness any further rain till at least 2pm.
While the traffic police listed at least 10 bypasses and three main roads as being closed due to urban flooding, Wahab presented a contrasting picture on his social media accounts, sharing videos of only those routes that were clear for vehicles.
The PPP mayor shared videos shot from inside a car of a drive along the Sher Shah Suri Road, Submarine Underpass, Shahrah-i-Pakistan and Liaqatabad No. 10 leading to Daak Khana, which did not have any rainwater in the videos.
This Google Map screengrab shows road blockades across Karachi on Aug 20, 2025 as of 12:20pm, a day after heavy rainfall led to flooding in various areas.
In a post on X, Wahab urged citizens not to use Shaheed-i-Millat Road at the moment as “work is being carried out to clear the underpasses”. He suggested using Stadium Road or Shahrah-i-Quaideen as alternative routes.
In an update at 12:37pm, Karachi Traffic Police said various bypasses and roads in the city’s multiple districts were closed due to rainwater accumulation.
In District East, Shaheed-i-Millat Road, Tariq Road Underpass and Drigh Road Underpass towards the airport were shut for traffic.
In District Central, Nazimabad No. 1 Underpass, Nazimabad No. 2 Underpass, Liaquatabad No. 10 Underpass and Gharibabad Underpass were closed.
In the Malir district, Sohrab Goth Underpass was inaccessible, while in the Korangi district, both the roads of Korangi Crossing and EBM Causeway were shut.
The traffic police advised commuters to call the traffic helpline 1915 for alternative route options to avoid inconvenience.
Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Wahab said: “Climate change is a reality. If you want to make someone a target of criticism and say whatever you want, you can. But, you can see how huge a challenge climate change is for any government, state, or administration around the world.”
Noting that Pakistan faced “different challenges” from the developed countries, the PPP mayor said climate change had wreaked havoc in other parts of the country too in recent weeks.
He underscored that people had two options: either change their behaviour to combat climate change, or criticise others. He compared yesterday’s torrential rains in Karachi to those that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, other northern areas and Islamabad faced this monsoon.
Wahab detailed that there were two rain spells on Tuesday, with the first one ending by 9:30am, allowing the city administration to work on removing the rainwater. “By 12:30pm, the situation had been fixed and the main arteries of your city were open.”
However, the second spell began at around 1:15pm and continued “non-stop” till 6pm, the PPP mayor highlighted. Even after that, rain continued “on and off” till around 8pm with each spell lasting 10 to 12 minutes, Wahab added.
Noting that 235 millimetres of rain occurred in only Manghopir in 12 hours yesterday, Wahab stressed that Karachi’s nullahs had a capacity of 40mm so rainfall above that would result in a spillover effect. He asserted that a nullah situated on the Nursery area was fully functional and had no blockage.
Rain started again while Wahab was holding the media talk, with the mayor saying he was ready to continue the press conference in the same outdoor setting, and later pushed back an umbrella someone else was holding for him.
Deaths from rain-related incidents rise to 8
According to separate statements issued by Karachi Rescue 1122, two more people died in rain-related incidents, in addition to yesterday’s six deaths.
Edhi Marine Service volunteers recovered the body of a 50-year-old man, identified as Abbas Mohsin, who went missing in a nullah near the Gurumandir area yesterday, Rescue 1122 said. His body was taken to Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).
In Defence Housing Authority’s (DHA) Phase 5, Edhi Marine Service volunteers recovered the body of 19-year-old motorcycle rider Yasir, after being informed about an electrocution incident. The man’s body was shifted to the JPMC.
A man and a woman were injured after part of an old building collapsed in the Ranchore Line area, a statement from the Edhi Rescue service said. Both were taken to CHK in an ambulance.
According to statements by Sindh Rescue 1122, “several people” were rescued from Karachi’s Sukhan Nadi, while 18 men and 12 women were evacuated safely from a call centre in PECHS Block 6 after they were trapped there due to rainwater accumulated inside the building.
Among the six people who died yesterday were four members of a family who lost their lives after the walls of a house in Gulistan-i-Jauhar’s Block-12 collapsed during the heavy rain. According to a JPMC statement, a boy aged between two to four years and a six to seven-year-old girl were among the deceased, while a fifth relative was injured.
In another similar incident in Orangi Town, an eight-year-old child lost his life. An unidentified man, aged 20-24 years, died in a suspected electrocution case in DHA’s Phase 7.
Power restored in various areas: KE
In an update at 2:15am, K-Electric spokesperson Imran Rana said efforts were underway to restore power supply in affected areas after getting safety clearance from on-ground teams as accumulated rainwater recedes.
“K-Electric’s generation, transmission, and distribution systems remain stable after the torrential monsoon rains, and power supply continues across the city through more than 1,700 feeders,” the statement on Rana’s X said.
Areas in which power had been restored, as per KE, included North Nazimabad’s Block L and M; Askari 5; Malir Cantt Sector J; Orangi Town; Shamsi Colony; Feroz Shah Colony; Bangla Bazaar; Sectors 14-A, B, C, D, E and F; Pak Colony; F.B. Area Block 10, 11 and 14; Sarhad Colony; and Naubahar Colony.
Power had also been restored in Badar Commercial’s Street 2, 6, 9 and 12; Zamzama Commercial; Azam Basti; DHA Phase 5; Clifton Block 2 and 9; Gulistan-i-Johar’s Block 15 and 17; City Railway Colony; Defence; Dhoraji; CP Berar; Faran Society; Zamzama Commercial; and Azam Basti.
Rana said fuel supply disruptions across the city were also impacting the movement of KE vehicles for the restoration work.
Yesterday’s rains severely flooded Karachi’s major arteries, including Sharea Faisal, M.A. Jinnah Road, and I.I. Chundrigar Road, with hundreds of cars and motorcycles submerged and commuters stuck in traffic jams for several hours. Many had to wade through waist-deep water in the business district as they tried to return home.
Shortly after the heavy rains hit the city, power outages swept across the city, plunging several areas into darkness. Even upscale neighbourhoods, such as DHA and Clifton, were severely affected, with rainwater flooding homes and adding to the residents’ misery.
The domestic and international flight operations at Jinnah International Airport were also affected, with the Pakistan Aviation Authority (PAA) confirming that several flights were either delayed, cancelled or diverted to an alternative airport due to inclement weather.
More rains expected in Sindh, Balochistan
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast torrential rains in Sindh, parts of Balochistan, and other regions of the country in the coming days, advising the provincial disaster management authorities to make necessary arrangements.
According to the PMD, strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal are continuously penetrating the country, particularly the southern parts.
Under the influence of these conditions, widespread rain-wind/thundershowers with scattered heavy falls, at times very heavy, are expected in Karachi, Mithi, Tharparkar, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sanghar and Jamshoro.
Scattered showers are likely in Sukkur, Larkana, Khairpur, and Jacobabad till August 22 with occasional gaps.
In Balochistan, rain-wind/thundershowers with scattered heavy falls are expected in Barkhan, Musakhel, Loralai, Sibi, Zhob, Qila Saifullah, Khuzdar, Lasbela, Awaran, Kech, Gwadar, and Panjgur till August 22 with occasional gaps.
The Met Office warned that torrential rains may cause urban flooding in low-lying areas of Sindh, including Karachi, Thatta, Badin, Sajawal, Tharparkar, Umer Kot, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Tando Allahyar, Tando Muhammad Khan, Sanghar, and Jamshoro.