Monsoon Rains in Pakistan Kill 26

By VOA News
19 July 2009

A Pakistani homeless family fixes their damaged hut caused by heavy monsoon rainfall, at a slum in Hyderabad, Pakistan on Saturday, 18 July 2009

Heavy monsoon rains in Pakistan's south have killed at least 26 people and cut off electricity in the country's largest city, Karachi.

The rainfall started Saturday and flooded areas of the port city. Officials say some of the victims died from drowning and electrocution. Others were killed by collapsing homes.

The 15 centimeters of rainfall damaged hundreds of buildings and downed power lines across the city. Pakistani officials say they are working to restore electricity and control the situation.

Despite the downpour, meteorologists are predicting almost a third less rainfall this year.

Karachi suffers from outdated infrastructure and a poor drainage system that leaves parts of the city vulnerable to flooding.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

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