Islamabad-SANA
Pakistan declared a climate emergency in the city of Karachi due to the continued heavy rains associated with the monsoons, which inundated a large number of its homes and roads.
Agence France-Presse reported that the Pakistani government declared an "official holiday in Karachi and Hyderabad" in an attempt to avoid the risk of flooding, but the low-lying areas that have been exposed to heavy rains for weeks have turned into disaster-stricken areas.
Sardar Sarfraz, director of the Pakistan Meteorological Bureau, warned that more rain is expected in Karachi until tomorrow.
For its part, the National Disaster Management Authority said in a statement that at least 312 people have died since last month as a result of these rains, noting that at least two people were killed yesterday after being electrocuted in Karachi due to the fall of power lines in flooded streets.
The heavy rains also disrupted flights and trains in the mega city, which has a population of 15 million, the authority added.
According to the environmental NGO GerWatch, Pakistan ranks eighth in the list of countries most exposed to severe weather caused by climate change.
Pakistan was hit by the worst floods in 2010 when water covered nearly a fifth of the country, killing about two thousand people and displacing 20 million.
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