KARACHI: Although light to moderate rain after a dust storm in the metropolis brought much-needed relief for citizens experiencing stifling heat for weeks, three people also lost their lives in rain-related incidents.

Amid prolonged power outages, the moderate to light rain inundated many roads which resulted in overflowing of drains and traffic jams on key arteries.Three deaths were reported from Surjani Town, which received the highest amount of rainfall — 58.2mm.

The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and the MuttahidaQaumi Movement-Pakistan described the incidents as the ‘failure’ of the city administration to complete the de-silting of storm-water drains, which are said to be the main cause of the accumulation of rainwater on roads and in low-lying areas.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, however, said that he himself had visited several parts of the city during the rain to monitor the situation of storm-water drains.“We have cleared all choking points. We are putting our best so the people can avoid any nuisance during this monsoon season,” he added.

The power supply was also disrupted in many parts of the city after the dust storm hit the metropolis in the afternoon.However, K-Electric claimed that the power supply to the city “remained stable during the first scattered showers of the monsoon spell”.

According to the Met Office, the city weather will remain hot and humid with drizzle/light rain expected in some areas in the evening/night.The MQM-P says in a statement that the beginning of the monsoon season has “exposed the failure” of the city government and washed away “all claims of the PPP mayor”.

“The people are stranded on flooded roads,” an MQM-P spokesman said in the statement. “Those who have been elected by the people of Karachi are nowhere to be found, leaving their voters helpless. The key road links are flooded. The streets and residential areas have turned into sewage pounds.