KARACHI : The Pakistan Army is carrying out relief and rescue operations in various parts of Karachi affected by heavy rains, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Wednesday.

It said the army’s engineers along with heavy machinery and specialised equipment have been deployed to stop the outflow of water from the Malir River by repairing cracks that emerged in its walls, inundating Qaidabad and nearby neighbourhoods.

The river’s water level has begun receding with water flowing back into it from the residential areas.

At least 200 families have been marooned in Dur Mohammad Goth and Kohi Goth because of flooding in the Malir River, it said, adding they have taken refuge on the rooftops of their houses and will be rescued via helicopters after weather clearance.

In a tweet late on Tuesday night, the ISPR said Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa had directed the Karachi Corps to step up flood relief operations to assist the people affected by the recent rains in interior Sindh and Karachi

“Troops must reach out to affected population in distress and extend all necessary care”, the army chief quoted as saying.