Karachi lashed by strong winds and rain, two trapped after tree falls

Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds swept across several areas of Karachi on Wednesday, disrupting electricity supply in parts of the city and trapping two people under a fallen tree, according to media reports. Rain with gusty winds was reported in North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Surjani, Federal B Area, Saddar and Clifton, according to the reports. Similar conditions were observed in Cantonment, Railway Colony, Delhi Colony, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Gulshan-e-Jamal and Garden, where strong winds and rainfall continued. Thunder and lightning accompanied the storm, while power supply was suspended in multiple neighborhoods soon after the rain began. A tree fell near the Clifton Driving License Branch due to heavy rain, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122 said. Two people were trapped under the tree as a result of the incident, the spokesperson said. Rescue 1122’s Central Command and Control received the information and dispatched its Urban Search and Rescue team along with a disaster response vehicle and an ambulance to the scene, the spokesperson said. The Pakistan Meteorological Department said wind speeds reached 90 kilometers per hour on Shahrah-e-Faisal, one of Karachi’s main thoroughfares. In the Mauripur area, wind speeds of 97 kph were recorded, the department said. Earlier, the meteorological department had forecast rain for Karachi and other parts of Sindh province. It said a system of western winds was affecting most parts of the country. Rain was expected on Monday and Tuesday in Karachi as well as in Hyderabad, Thatta and Jamshoro, the department said, adding that there was also a possibility of hail in parts of Karachi. Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and economic hub, is located in the southern province of Sindh along the Arabian Sea.