Cyclone Phet approaching Pakistan’s coastal areas

[Evil Flare]

KARACHI: Thousands of people were evacuated from Baba and Bhit, two small fishing islands near the Karachi port, even though Cyclone Phet appeared to be weakening gradually on Saturday.

Almost all women and children of the two islands, said to have a population of over 15,000, left behind male family members to take care of their households amid cyclone alerts.

At least 15 launches, including six from Pakistan Navy, were pressed into service to evacuate the people from the islands stretching over four kilometres.

Abdul Karim, a time-keeper at Keamari, told Dawn that each launch made at least 10 trips to and from the islands.

The Kutchhi Rabita Committee set up relief camps for the evacuees at Hyderi and Baldia Town as the authorities did not make any arrangements for their lodging.

Muhammed Hussain, a sector-in-charge of the KRC, told Dawn that over 15,000 people had been evacuated from the two islands. A majority of them were women and children, he added.

He said that besides setting up two shelter camps, the KRC had arranged lodging facilities for the evacuees in certain community halls. “We have also arranged food for the affected people,” he added.

The KRC office-bearer said that the committee had also arranged transport for the evacuees to the shelter camps.

Mohammed Aqeel, a fisherman and father of two, said he would stay at a camp set up by the community near the airport.

“The authorities have done nothing for us,” he said, adding that a number of evacuees would put up with their relatives.

Mohammed Ali, the father of seven, said he would stay with his relatives in Shah Faisal Colony. “The government should have provided us with shelter and food as we left our personal belongings back at home,” he said.

Amina, wife of Saleh Mohammed and mother of four, said that the family left home in haste and could not even bring their personal belongings. “We are out of pocket and have no place to go to but the shelter camp.”

She wondered if the government was unable to provide them with shelter and food for two days. “We have left our home and God would now take care of it,” she said.

However, some residents of the islands said that there was hardly any need to abandon their homes. “The cyclone is not going to wreak havoc on the island,” said one of them, who had been living on Baba Island for the past 50 years.

An official of the Docks police said the police arranged 12 launches for the evacuation of the people from the two islands.

The security staff of the Karachi Port Trust said the whole evacuation operation was being monitored by the authorities. However, no senior official of the city government or the KPT was present on the jetty.

Even there was no arrangement of drinking water for the evacuees.

 

[Evil Flare]

Rain wrecks havoc in Karachi; scores hurt


KARACHI: Rain in ******** have lashed out Karachi leaving many people critically injured and flooding almost every road in metropolis meanwhile; Geo news correspondent said scores of people, including some families, have been trapped in limbo due to havoc wrecked by 2 hours long spate of incessant heavy showers.

Many vehicles have turned out of order on roads while main and sub roads are submerged under thick stagnant water, meanwhile; officials from provincial government have kicked off no rescue efforts as yet.

Some accidents were also reported to have occurred due to slippery roads where motorcycle riders lost control over bikes and sustained injuries, sources told media.

The city is already covered under darkness for last several hours due to massive power shutdown as all electricity generation units at Bin Qasim Power Plant have gone tripped for last some hours, sources said.

Those key roads blocked completely by rainwater included Shahrah-e-Faisal, M.A Junnah Road, Boltan Road, Main Nazimabad Road, Rashid Minhas Road, Liaquatabad Road, University Road and many others.

Meanwhile, more than 250 feeders have also gone tripped, cutting short of electricity supply to many areas, people told Geo news by phone.

Areas received most rainwater included Gulistan-e-Johar, Saddar, Liaquatabad, Gushan-e-Iqbal, New Karachi, FB Araea, Gulshan-e-Mamar and etc.

Rain also disrupted railway system completely, reports on media said.

 

[reeyan]

keep praying so that this natural calamity be calmed. indeed, ALLAH is GREAT AND MERCIFUL.

 

[ice_man]

The saints will protect Karachi from Cyclone Phet’



KARACHI: As Cyclone Phet approaches the shores of Karachi and panic levels rise among local residents, many have turned to various patron saints of Karachi seeking protection.

Urban legends of the countless times Sufi saints have protected Karachi from storms and tsunamis are currently making the rounds in the city.

Some stories speak of the saints individually, while others claim that the collective prayers of these saints protect the metropolis.

Four saints

According to one legend four Sufi saints protect the city from impending disaster.

The saints are Abudllah Shah Ghazi in Clifton, Samandri Baba on the National Highway, Yusuf Shah in Manora and Manghoo Baba in Manghopir. It is said that the presence of these saints in Karachi have already saved the city from natural disasters including earthquakes, cyclones and all sea-related phenomenon.

The legend of Abdullah Shah Ghazi

Many Karachiites strongly believe that as long as Shah Ghazi’s shrine is kept clean and well-maintained, Karachi will always be spared from deadly sea storms. Most recently, storms were said to have been deflected by the Sufi saint to the Indian city of Gujarat when they were just 10 hours away from Karachi.

A famous legend regarding Abdullah Shah Ghazi says that once when the sea was rough and fishermen could not go out to sea, they went to Abdullah Shah Ghazi and asked him to pray for the sea to remain calm.

Abdullah Shah Ghazi took his eating bowl and submerged it into the sea water and curled the bowl by pressing it from the sides, enclosing the water inside.

He then said to the sea “you have been misbehaving quite a lot lately!”, the water is then said to have calmed down. Many people believe the the sea is said to have moved far away because of Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s warning.

The seven Sufi brothers

Another legend tells us of seven Sufi brothers, whos shrines protect Karachi from oncoming storms and tsunamis. These brothers were Ghayab Shah of Kemari, Alim Shah of Jamia Cloth, Vilayat Shah of Malir, Jumman Shah of Shahra e Faisal, Samandri Baba on the National Hihgway, Yusuf Shah of Manora and Misri Shah in Defence.

Mewa Shah

Mewa Shah, another local Sufi saint buried in Karachi, is also entwined in the legendary brotherhood of protective saints.

Mewa Shah was believed to have set fire to a ship carrying him to exile, said his prayers on the waves of the Arabian Sea and mounted a large fish which took him back to the shores of Karachi.

Visitors on The Express Tribune website have also kept their faith in Abdullah Shah Ghazi and the patron saints’ powers of protection.

Farrukh Ahmed stated, “It is to be noted that all of the times, Abdullah Shah Ghazi saved us from all the cyclones in the past, so please don’t worry and have a firm faith in Allah as this will not gonna happen InshAllah (only heavy rains might occur), so let’s start pray from today for our City.”

Meanwhile, Alam responding to news that Cyclone Phet will hit Karachi as a down graded level 2 cyclone succinctly stated, “Phet 0 – Abdullah Shah Ghazi 1.”


Only ALLAH can protect us!

what a shame!!! people expect the dead to come to "help them" rather than put faith in god!

i don't understand one thing how can these dead men help!!


Islam permits only to pray for the dead. Asking the dead for their prayer is not stated in Islam. Ayats and hadiths forbid this. The 13th ayat of Surat al-Fatir declares, 'The idols you worship other than Allahu ta'ala cannot be useful to you even as much the membrane around the stone of a date is. Those idols do not hear when your pray to them. They would not answer you even if they heard, because they do not have the power to help you. And the idols will tell you on the Day of Judgement that you made a mistake by attributing them as partners to Allahu ta'ala.' This ayat indicates that those who ask the dead for prayer will be treated as unbelievers on the Day of Judgement. This is also expressed in the statement, 'Their idols will become enemies to unbelievers on the Day of Judgement and tell them that their worship was wrong,' which is the sixth ayat of Surat al-Ahqaf. Therefore, no dead or absent person can hear, help or do harm.


why do pakistanis believe so much in mazaar's?? i guess it is the influence of the persians and hindus in the region.....! these peer baba's pandits don't know the hour of there death how can they know all this?


ask Allah for help! HE is the sole helper!

 

[Awesome]

Just saw today in the morning, people are dancing in the rain...

 

[Areesh]

Well it is good till now.. Karachiites are enjoying the rain. Let's hope things would go in the same manner.

 

[Evil Flare]

Phet roaring 200km from Karachi; more rains likely

KARACHI: The tropical cyclone that brewed at Arabian Sea, after wreaking havoc in Omani Sultanate, barreled towards Pakistani coastline and is still raging 200 kilometers away from Karachi, Geo News reported Sunday.

The cyclone Phet (a Thai word that means Diamond) is feared to hit District Thatta, Kati Bandar, Shahi Bandar, Bhimbhor, Jati, Mirpur Sakro.

Director General of Meteorological Department Qamaruz Zaman Chaudhry told that the cyclone is present 200 kilometers from Karachi, adding it would smash into the Sindh coastal areas with a pace of 100 kilometers per hour.

Qamar said the cyclone would cause 3 to 5-meter high waves in Thatta’s coastal areas, while, 2 to 4-hour high waves were expected in Karachi’s coastal areas.

According to Met Department, more downpours are expected during the next 36 to 48 hours.

Cyclone will hit Sindh coastline of Bhimbhor and Kati Bandar, which will spawn lashing rains in Thatta, Hyderabad, Badin and Mirpur Khas.

 

[fatman17]

its been raining cats and dogs on and off for the last 12 hours and more is expected.

i live behind sea-view and the winds are fairly strong

 

[Evil Flare]

(CNN) -- Heavy rains and strong winds continued to lash the southwestern coast of Pakistan early Sunday as Cyclone Phet approached landfall.
Throughout the weekend, the Pakistani navy dispatched helicopters to alert fishermen near Karachi and parts of Balochistan to the expected arrival of Phet.
Pakistani authorities rescued about 1,000 people from Gwadar and took them to a navy shelter Saturday after the storm damaged their mud houses.
On Saturday, officials safely brought 24 fishing boats and 129 fishermen back to shore, the Associated Press of Pakistan said.
The navy remained on high alert Sunday, should they be needed in the aftermath of the cyclone.
Civilians along Pakistan's coast will receive priority in the relief effort, dubbed "Operation Madad," said Pakistani Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Nauman Bashir.
On Friday, Phet dumped up to 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain on coastal Oman. It brought massive flooding to Muscat and whipped the capital with winds gusting above 200 kph (125 mph) at the height of the storm.




Cyclone Phet lashes Pakistani coast - CNN.com

 

[Evil Flare]

Its now Heavy raining in Saddar Area , & winds are getting stronger & stronger

 

[Xeric]

Pak Army and Navy on Cyclone alert,6/6/2010 3:22:12 PM

Pak Army and Navy on Cyclone alert
Updated : Sunday June 6 , 2010 2:13:06 PM



KARACHI: Pakistan Army and Navy have been on alert due to tropical cyclone at Sindh and Balochistan coastal areas.

The Navy has decided to start air service to transfer the trapped people to safer places.

According to ISPR, the relief goods have been dispatched to rain lashed Gwadar from Quetta, while a military battallion has been engaged in relief and rescue operations.

Three Army battallions have been on alert for relief and rescue operations in Thatta district.

 

[fawwaxs]

 

[sparklingway]

Latest Pak Met Report:-



http://img708.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cyclone2.png

 

[Evil Flare]

Pak army on high alert for Thatta rescue operation



KARACHI: The jawans of Pakistan Army are busy with the rescue and relief operation in the coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan in view of cyclone Phet, Geo News reported Sunday.

According to Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), at least three battalions of Pak Army are on high alert in Thatta for rescue and relief operations.

There is also one Pak Army battalion busy with the operation in Gwadar.

Pak Army is also dispatching the relief goods to Gwadar from Tquetta.

 

[BelligerentPacifist]

At least you could collect water from the rain. There's never water in the taps in Karachi, save a few districts.