Karachi registers seven deaths from dengue fever in last 24 hours

At least seven people have died in Karachi due to dengue fever in the last 24 hours, the Sindh Health Department said on Monday.

Doctors say that dengue fever, a vector-borne viral disease, is slowly turning into an epidemic as hundreds of cases are being reported across the country.

A report issued by the provincial health department said Monday that in the last 24 hours, 113 new dengue cases were reported in Sindh, out of which 107 were from Karachi.

In Karachi, the highest number of cases were recorded in District East, followed by the Central, South, and Korangi districts.

Earlier, Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab said in a tweet that fumigation sprays were being carried out against dengue and malaria in the District East.

Dengue cases spiked across the province after monsoon rains, with major public and private hospitals across, including the Sindh Infectious Disease Hospital (SIDHRC) and Research Centre, Dow University Hospital, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), National Institute of Child Health (NICH) and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), receiving hundreds of cases daily.

Earlier on Monday, a fresh spell of monsoon rains hit the metropolis, breaking the spell of sweltering heat but also triggering a fresh wave of fear of waterlogging and urban flooding in the city.

North Karachi, Gulshan-e-Hadeed, North Nazimabad, New Karachi Buffer Zone, Surjani Town, Bahria Town, Gurumandir, Saddar, Clifton, and Karsaz saw heavy downpours.

Earlier, the Met Office forecast a fresh rain spell after the resumption of monsoon currents. The fresh weather system is likely from September 11 to 14 in upper and central parts of the country, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said in its weather report on Sunday.

The PMD added that the weather will remain clear, hot, and humid in central and upper Sindh.

In July, Karachi witnessed urban flooding due to monsoon rains that usually create havoc in the city, as water accumulates in low-lying areas and roads, while power supply to different areas is suspended.

Pakistan is currently reeling from the worst floods in decades from a record monsoon and glacial melt in the north that have impacted 33 million people and killed at least 1,391, washing away homes, roads, railways, livestock, and crops.