KARACHI – The skies opened with fury on August 19, 2025, as a relentless monsoon spell battered Karachi, Pakistan’s bustling financial hub, submerging roads, flooding homes, and leaving behind a grim trail of destruction.
At least 10 lives were lost in the chaos, forcing the Sindh government to announce a complete shutdown of the city on Wednesday, August 20.
What was meant to be a routine rainy day turned into a nightmare for millions, as the monsoon unleashed torrents that paralyzed Karachi’s fragile urban infrastructure. Electrocution, collapsing walls, and drownings added to the devastation, while power cuts and communication blackouts multiplied the suffering of residents.
Citywide Paralysis
From Malir to North Karachi, the streets turned into rivers. Vehicles were abandoned in waist-deep water, commuters were stranded for hours, and families watched in despair as floodwater seeped into their homes. Gulshan-e-Hadeed recorded the heaviest rainfall at 170mm, followed by Airport Old Area with 158.5mm and Nazimabad with 149.6mm.
Key arteries, including Shahrah-e-Faisal, University Road, and II Chundrigar Road, resembled stagnant lakes. Nagan Chowrangi, Hub River Road, and Surjani Town witnessed massive traffic snarls, with residents forced to wade through chest-high water.
Tragedy Strikes
Rescue officials confirmed three people drowned near Numaish, while four others died in Gulistan-e-Jauhar after a house wall collapsed. A child perished in Orangi in a similar incident. Electrocution added to the death toll: a motorcyclist lost his life near Nursery on Shahrah-e-Faisal, and another young man was fatally electrocuted in Defence.
The rising toll has sparked comparisons to the catastrophic floods of 2022, reminding residents of Karachi’s perpetual vulnerability during the monsoon season.
Air Travel Disrupted
The chaos was not limited to the streets. At Jinnah International Airport, flight operations went haywire as heavy rains grounded planes. Eight flights were cancelled, including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) services to Quetta and Islamabad, while more than 20 others faced delays. International flights from Dubai, Jeddah, and Toronto were diverted or rescheduled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.
Power & Connectivity Collapse
Electricity outages swept across large swathes of Karachi, while internet and mobile phone services also faltered. K-Electric acknowledged temporary shutdowns of several feeders, insisting they were precautionary to avoid accidents. Sadia Dada, KE’s Chief Distribution Officer, urged citizens to stay away from poles, wires, and flooded electrical equipment.
Despite the chaos, KE claimed 1,770 feeders out of 2,100 remained active, promising rapid restoration as weather allowed.
Government Steps In
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced a public holiday for Karachi on August 20, stressing the measure was aimed at safeguarding citizens from further hardship. An official notification from the Commissioner’s office cited the PMD’s weather advisory, confirming that widespread rain-wind/thundershowers were expected to continue across the city and adjoining districts.
Residents were urged to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, as meteorologists warned the monsoon system was far from over.
More Rain Ahead
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) cautioned that strong monsoon currents from the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal would continue to lash southern Sindh over the coming days. Heavy downpours are forecast for Hyderabad, Thatta, Mirpurkhas, Badin, Sajawal, and Tharparkar, while urban flooding threats remain acute in Karachi.
Experts warned that drainage systems, already overwhelmed, could collapse further if rain intensity persists.
A City on Edge
For residents of Karachi, the nightmare is all too familiar: hours-long traffic jams, powerless homes, submerged markets, and lives lost. Each passing monsoon brings promises of reform and improved infrastructure, but every year ends the same way—with citizens wading through filthy water, clutching at hope that the next season will be kinder.
As the death toll mounts and the rains continue, Karachi waits anxiously, battered once again by a force of nature magnified by neglect.