5 killed, 36 injured as Karachi gripped by gusty winds, dust storm

[shaaik]

At least five people died and 36 others were injured on Monday as parts of Karachi and its surrounding areas were besieged by gusty winds accompanied by a dust storm and light rain.

The blustery winds have uprooted electricity poles and trees in different parts of the megalopolis, causing traffic blockages, Radio Pakistan reported. Work is ongoing to clear streets for traffic.

According to Rescue 1122 sources, a five-year-old girl was killed when the roof of a house in Haji Ibrahim goth collapsed. Another child was killed near Peoples Chowrangi near Mazar-i-Quaid when a tree fell.

Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) head Dr Seemi Jamali said that 36 people had been brought to the hospital with different injuries, one of whom had passed away last night.

Roof collapses have been reported in a madressah in Lyari's Chakiwara, a house in Surjani Town, and two schools. Additionally, a tree fell on a van transporting prisoners near the old City Courts lockup. Rescue teams have been dispatched to the affected areas.

Multiple traffic accidents along the Karachi-Quetta highway resulted in the deaths of three people, while many others were injured.

A police mobile, five passenger buses and a truck all flipped over due to the strong winds. All the passenger buses were travelling from Quetta to Karachi.

Police, Levies and Edhi volunteers helped shift the injured to a nearby hospital where they were provided immediate first aid and then referred to Karachi for further treatment.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed all divisional commissioners to take care of the vulnerable residents of the city. He asked those who lived in sheds to be alert and cautious as the city experiences extreme weather.

The chief minister directed municipal authorities to take all necessary steps required to handle the situation and asked deputy commissioners to help them.

Shah also directed government hospitals to improve their available facilities and directed police to assist citizens.

Weather advisory

Karachi is expected to receive light rain today as a western disturbance that has already caused downpours in Balochistan is entering Sindh and the rest of the country, Dawn earlier reported.

The Met Office forecast light rain on Monday and thunderstorm accompanied by a dust storm on Tuesday.

Many other parts of Sindh and elsewhere in the country will also experience similar weather patterns in the coming two days, said officials at the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

They said a shallow westerly wave had already affected parts of the country. “Under the influence of this weather system, dust storms and thunderstorms are expected at various places in Sindh,” the weatherman said.

Sukkur, Larkana, Benazirabad, Hyderabad and Karachi divisions are likely to be affected by the system.

The rains will bring mercury downward with maximum temperatures are expected to remain 32 degrees Celsius.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1476264/5-killed-36-injured-as-karachi-gripped-by-gusty-winds-dust-storm

 

[MenInG]

Last thing that the city needs!

 

[Syed1]

Looks like a scene from a post-apocalypse movie

 

[Abdullah719]

Looks like a scene from a post-apocalypse movie

Last night for 2-3 hours and this this morning for a couple of hours, the wind gusts were crazy. I was honestly expecting the windows to give way... couldn't sleep due to the rattling sounds. Thankfully the dust cleared up but there's still some gusts of wind but nothing like before.

The rain that was supposed to fall never arrived... not in DHA anyway.

 

[giri26]

25 killed as rain, dust storm lash Pakistan

KARACHI: Widespread showers with thunderstorm across the country and a dust storm in Karachi caused by a westerly wave left at least 25 people dead, scores of others injured, and public and property damaged on Monday.

Intermittent downpour in western, central and northern parts of the country for the past few days has rendered mud houses susceptible to collapse, while land sliding and flash floods in some areas have already made several roads dangerous for travel.

Thunderstorm in Punjab resulted in collapse of several buildings, leaving at least nine people dead. In separate incidents related to the dust storm that hit Karachi in the early hours of the day, four people including two young girls died, an equal number of fishermen went missing and dozens of others suffered injuries, according to officials and rescue services.

Gusty winds also uprooted several trees, poles and signboards, broke windowpanes of some high-rise buildings and damaged the walls of schools and homes in Karachi.

“Two persons were brought dead while another died during treatment,” said Dr Seemin Jamali, executive director of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). She said the hospital also received over 58 injured. “Two of them had head injuries while some others suffered fractures,” she added.

Most of the persons sustained injuries when concrete structures collapsed and fell on them, according to her.

One body was brought to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi, said police surgeon Dr Qarar Ahmed Abbasi, adding that a tree fell on him near Peoples Chowrangi.

According to the Edhi Foundation, among the four people, who died in Karachi due to dust storm-related incidents, three were identified as Tanzeela, 5, a resident of Haji Murid Goth in Gulbahar; Mahak Faisal, 7, a resident of Korangi’s Gulzar Colony; and Kashif, 18, a resident of Landhi.

Five children reportedly sustained injuries when the wall of a private school, situated near Tipu Sultan traffic signal, collapsed and hit them. Six girls were hurt when the wall of a seminary in Lyari’s Kalakot area collapsed. Another three injured were shifted from Sir Syed and Surjani Town to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for treatment.

A tree fell on prisons’ van at the City Courts. However, all the prisoners remained unhurt. Similarly, the dust storm also uprooted an electric pole near the main gate of Sindh Governor House, with the result that traffic remained suspended on Aiwan-i-Saddar Road for some time.

Due to rough weather, a boat with nine fishermen aboard in the sea went missing.

The Maritime Security Agency rescued five of them while four fishermen were still missing, said Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum chairman Mohammed Ali Shah. He said fishermen in five boats had gone for fishing on Sunday night. Of them, four boats returned. Due to gusty winds, one boat with nine fishermen went missing. Five of the nine fishermen were rescued by the MSA while the whereabouts of four others were not known.

In Punjab, nine people including two women died in thunderstorm-related incidents. Four deaths were reported in Khanewal district; three in Hasilpur area of Bahawalnagar district; and two Dunyapur tehsil of Lodhran district.

In Chitral valley, a woman and two men died when the roof of a house collapsed and fell on them.

Showers across the valley had already rendered many houses susceptible to collapse while the roads of Booni, Mastuj, Torkhow, Karimabad, Susoom and other hilly areas have become dangerous due to rock falling.

https://www.dawn.com/news/1476397/25-killed-as-rain-dust-storm-lash-pakistan