Heavy rains and gusty winds battered the city of Karachi on Thursday. Insider Paper has found a shocking video that has captured the moment a giant billboard falls on two bike riders, seriously injuring at least one of them. The incident took place near Metropole Chowrangi in Karachi amid the heavy rainfall.
Billboard falls on bike riders, one seriously injured
One of the bike riders, a 65-year-old man, has sustained serious injuries. A traffic police officer said the injured man was taken to a hospital immediately. The second man suffered only minor injuries. He only needed basic first-aid.
This was not the only billboard that fell on Karachi roads on Thursday. In a separate incident, a 30-year-old man named Anwar suffered a head injury after a billboard fell on him. This incident took place near the Avari Towers hotel. People took Anwar to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, where the doctors said he was out of danger.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department recorded a peak 56mm rainfall at the PAF Faisal Base on Thursday. Rainfall in other areas of the city ranged from 7mm in Gulshan-i-Hadeed to 46mm in Saddar. The rainy season brings with it the increased risk of electrocution, which has claimed more than a dozen lives in Karachi this season.
Many residents also complained that the rainwater had accumulated on roads. The Meteorological Department had earlier issued a flood warning for Karachi due to heavy rains between August 6 and August 8.
ALERT ? Hoarding falls down on a bike riding man in #Karachi, Pakistan during rain near #Metropole area of the city. pic.twitter.com/vBXXw6Ew6p
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) August 7, 2020
Supreme Court has banned billboards in Karachi
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has banned billboards in Karachi. But you can still see them installed on all major roads of the city. A couple of years ago, the court passed an order to get rid of billboards after several incidents of the hoardings falling on residents in rainy season.
The Supreme Court had ordered authorities to take down billboards from all public properties, housing societies, the land of government offices, and in cantonment areas. But the decision has hurt advertisers, who lost a significant chunk of revenue. Since then, many advertisers have resorted to pasting thin sheets and posters on walls for advertising, which don’t harm citizens in any way.
