KARACHI: The main electric utility of Karachi, K-Electric, Sunday said it has suspended the power supply to the flooded areas of the metropolis in the wake of lashing rains that has hit the city for past several hours. Meantime, the weather forecasters predicted more rains till today’s night.
“There are reports of water accumulating around power installations and entering homes,” said the city's power utility in a tweet in today’s wee hours.
“In the interest of public safety and based on the requests received from the city administration, electricity supply to areas which face a state of urban flooding has been temporarily suspended.”
The city’s low-lying areas, such as Landhi, Ilyas Goth, Ibrahim Haideri, Majid Colony UC 4, Shah Faisal, Malir, Scheme 33, Rehri Goth and Korangi, which are prone to urban flooding, are yet again inundated, it said.
The power supplying body has urged the civic bodies to ensure the drainage of water from the affected areas so that the power supply can be restored in safe and swift manner.
It pointed out that restoration efforts are also severely hampered because of the challenging conditions caused by the relentless downpours and water-logging which is now posing a serious threat to electricity installations.
In an earlier tweet, K-Electric said it believes the city administration should declare a state of emergency in the city as uninterrupted torrential rains over several past hours has created a critical situation.
At least six people have died so far of electrocution and drowning after heavy rains started almost 24 hours ago. The city received stormy rains overnight.
Driving rain with thunderstorm lashed Defence, Clifton, Shahrah-e-Faisal, Malir, Gulshan, Landhi, Shah Latif Town, Korangi, Soldier Bazar, Manghopir, Nazimabad, New Karachi, Surjani Town and other areas.
The weather monsoonal system that developed in the Bengal Gulf is present in the city in its full severity, said the Met Department, adding the present wet spell may continue till today’s night.