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Six dead as torrential rains flood Karachi; Malir, Lyari rivers overflow
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- Web Desk
- Sep 10, 2025
KARACHI: At least six people died from electrocution and drowning after heavy rains lashed Karachi, swelling the Malir and Lyari rivers and flooding low-lying areas.
Rescue 1122, Pakistan Army and Rangers teams evacuated hundreds of citizens from flood-hit areas.
According to rescue services, three more people lost their lives in rain-related incidents on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths to six since Tuesday, while three others remain missing.
Edhi rescue workers recovered the bodies of a man and a woman from a car swept away in Konkar stream in Gadap Town. The deceased were identified as 60-year-old Nabu Gulab and 45-year-old Javed Shah, the Edhi Foundation said.
Police surgeon Dr Samia Syed told Dawn that the body of 18-year-old Ahmed Qadir was brought to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital from North Nazimabad Block C after being electrocuted.
Rescue 1122 reported that after two people went missing in Malir stream, one man—Mustafa Ali Gulab—was rescued alive, while the search for another, Faran Akram, continues.
Intermittent light and heavy rain continued across the city, causing dams to overflow. Water entered residential areas, including Saadi Town and parts of Scheme 33.
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Areas such as Malir, M-9 Motorway, Sohrab Goth, Khameso Goth, Lyari and Malir and Machhar Colony were submerged. Water levels in Malir and Lyari streams reached dangerous level, forcing residents of nearby localities to evacuate.
Flooding in Lyari stream submerged Machhar Colony and Dhobi Ghat, while Nishtar Basti, Essa Nagri and Lassi Para also faced worsening conditions.
The Thado Dam overflowed, flooding nearby areas. Gushing waters swept away vehicles including a hi-roof van, rickshaw and motorcycle. The spillover also reached the M-9 Motorway, disrupting traffic for hours before it was restored.
In Korangi, crossings were closed from both the causeway side and the Defence side due to dangerously high water levels in Malir stream.
In Gadap, the road from the Super Highway to Thado Dam was closed at Faqeera Chowk. Khameso Goth and Jokhio Goth were submerged, while the route from Bakra Peeri to the Memon Goth Eye Hospital was also shut down.
Situation remains critical as water level rises at Panjnad
Thado Dam floodwaters also inundated Saadi Town and nearby areas. In Kathore, Mol Dam overflowed, sending floodwaters into adjacent settlements.
Water level rises in Hub Dam
Two days of rain increased Hub Dam’s water level by two feet, raising it to 335 feet, just four feet below its maximum capacity of 339 feet.
Rescue operations
According to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson, 11 people were rescued in Saadi Town and surrounding areas including two men, three women and six children, and shifted to safer locations.
Rangers personnel also joined relief operations in Malir, M-9, Sohrab Goth, Khameso Goth, Lyari and Malir streams, and Machhar Colony. They worked alongside the district administration and rescue agencies. Officials said Rangers remained on full alert.
More rain forecast
The Pakistan Meteorological Department forecast more heavy rainfall on Wednesday. The weather system is expected to weaken into a low-pressure area within 8–9 hours and dissipate over Balochistan’s coast by September 11, the Met Office said.
According to the Met Office, the system is currently affecting Sindh as a depression, with heavy rain clouds concentrated north of Karachi.
‘This is a challenging day’
Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited several affected areas and reviewed the situation. Calling the flow in Malir stream “dangerous,” he said he had never seen such pressure before.
“This is a challenging day. The administration will remain on the ground,” Wahab said. He added that the army had been called in through the chief secretary and troops had reached the affected areas.
Wahab also visited Shehbaz Goth along the M-9 Motorway, where he said Rescue 1122 and PDMA teams were actively working. “The water level had reached a dangerous point two hours ago but has now receded significantly due to continuous efforts,” he said.
He noted that conditions in Lyari stream were also improving and expressed hope that the situation would gradually get better. He said closing the motorway was necessary to save lives and expected water levels to drop further in the coming hours.
Speaking to the media, Wahab said more than 200 people had been rescued so far, adding: “I have never seen this much water in the Lyari stream in my life.”
CM orders monitoring of Thado Dam flows
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed continuous monitoring of Thado Dam’s water flow and urged officials to keep citizens informed to prevent further loss.
According to a report submitted to the CM, four people trapped in a car swept away by floodwaters from the dam’s spillway were rescued safely.
Due to the rain, all schools in Karachi were closed on Wednesday.
