Overnight storm in Pakistan’s Karachi kills 17, injures 30

ISLAMABAD, March 19, (Xinhua): At least 17 people were killed and 30 others injured in rain-related incidents in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Wednesday, officials said. According to local authorities and personnel from Rescue 1122, the casualties were reported from multiple areas of the city following heavy rainfall that exposed vulnerabilities in urban infrastructure.

Rescue 1122 personnel said that 11 people were killed after a wall collapsed in the Baldia Town area of Karachi, the provincial capital of the country's southern Sindh province. Six others died in different areas of the city, including a couple who lost their lives after their house roof collapsed in the Quaid Abad area. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the city was experiencing significant rainfall with strong winds, urging residents to avoid unnecessary movement.

The mayor added that teams were dispatched across the city to respond to incidents as rainwater accumulated in several areas, disrupting traffic and daily life. Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah has declared a province-wide high alert, including Karachi, following stormy rains.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department earlier forecast that rain and thunderstorms, accompanied by strong winds and isolated hailstorms, would continue to affect Karachi and other parts of Sindh through Thursday under the influence of a westerly weather system.