Four killed as dust storm hits Karachi under influence of tropical cyclone Tauktae

Karachi: At least four people were killed in different mishaps in Karachi as a severe dust storm hit the city accompanied by light drizzle on Tuesday afternoon.

The dust storm lashed the city under the influence of a severe tropical cyclone Tauktae in Southeast Arabian Sea that made landfall in the Indian state of Gujarat. The dust storm and drizzle came after a spell of intense heat wave. The maximum temperature on Monday in the city was 43.5 degree Centigrade.

Trees, electricity poles, and signboards were uprooted in different parts of the city due to the dust storm. Strong winds blew away corrugated roofs of many houses. Slippery conditions on the main roads of the city due to drizzle caused several accidents. Concrete and metallic structures collapsed in several areas of the city endangering human lives. Several people sustained injuries due to accidents related to the dust storm.

The causalities included a nine-year-old boy who died when the roof of his home collapsed. The Meteorological Department recorded seven millimetres rain in the city following the dust storm.

Several parts of the city were deprived of electricity as the dust storm severely damaged the electric supply infrastructure in the city.

Glass claddings of a high-rise commercial building housing the head office of a bank broke and fell to the ground due to strong winds. The video of the incident was widely shared on social media. The incident happened on II Chundrigar Road that is one of the busiest commercial roads of the city. No one was hurt in the incident.