Headlines 9am: Six electrocuted in Karachi as rain continues

Here are the headlines from SAMAA TV’s 9am bulletin.

• Continuous rain on Thursday and Friday has left most of Karachi inundated with rainwater. Six people were electrocuted while four people, including children, drowned in drains. Burns Road and Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 13-D are submerged in sewage water after gutters overflowed. The Pakistan Army is busy draining water with heavy machinery in the city. The ISPR said more rescue teams are ready to be deployed if the situation worsens. It rained Saturday morning as well and the Met Office has forecast more downpours throughout the day.
• The NDMA has been working with the FWO to clear the drains. So far, it has made headway on three major drains–the Gujjar Nullah, Mawach Goth Nullah and Korangi Nullah. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah visited the storm water drains. Speaking to reporters, he said he’ll make the names of the people who illegally possessed the area and built encroachments near the drains public.
• Nine drains in Dadu have overflowed due to the third rain spell, flooding over 50 villages.
• Several Karachi neighbourhoods including DHA, Clifton, Askari IV, Liaquatabad, Shah Faisal Colony, Landhi, Korangi, and FB Area had their power supply suspended for up to 12 hours on Friday evening. K-Electric says it has now restored power with supply from an additional 240 power feeders.
• Karachi’s commissioner has issued a notification to remove all signboards and billboards from the city. On Thursday, two motorcyclists were injured after a billboard collapsed on them near Metropole Chowrangi.
• Four people were killed in Swabi after suspects opened fire at them, said the police. Two victims belongs to Charsadda.
• Pakistan is observing the martyrdom anniversary of Major Tufail Mohammad Arain Shaheed, who was given the Nishan-e-Haider for his “actions of valor other than bravery” in a 1957 skirmish between Pakistan and India. In a Twitter post, the ISPR also paid a tribute to the national hero.
• Pakistan suffered a batting collapse in their second innings against England in the first Test at Manchester on Friday. The visitors were 137-8 at stumps on day three with a lead of 244 runs.