Winter showers, power outages in Karachi

KARACHI: At least four people were killed in rain-related incidents when Pakistan’s port city of Karachi received its first winter showers that brought down the temperature by 3 degrees Celsius, according to officials on Saturday.

Many parts of the city experienced power outages due to the rain while traffic congestion was witnessed on several roads, Dawn news reported.

Mohammed Asad, 25, suffered serious head injuries when his motorcycle skidded on Kashmir road.

He died before he could be rushed to hospital, officials said. Two more people died in another rain-related accident.

In Nazimabad’s Urdu bazaar, two motorcyclists were killed in a hit-andrun accident that the Rizvia police believed was a result of slippery roads due to the rain.

Another young man died after he came into contact with a snapped electricity wire near Korangi Crossing area, the police said.

Several electricity feeders tripped as soon as the city received rain, causing power outages in a number of areas including Clifton, Shah Faisal Colony, Tipu Sultan Road, Malir and Landhi, as well as parts of Gulshani-Iqbal.

The meteorological department had forecast partly cloudy/ cloudy weather with chances of thunderstorm for the city on Saturday.

The minimum temperature was expected to range between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius, according to a Met official. The maximum temperature recorded in the city on Thursday was 26 degrees Celsius which dropped to 23 degrees Celsius on Friday, while the minimum temperature went down to 10 degrees Celsius.

The Karachi Development Authority and District Municipal Corporation-South announced a state of emergency in their respective areas.