At least 24 people were killed on Friday after heavy rains battered several parts of Pakistan as the country braces for the impact of cyclone Asna. While the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that the cyclone won’t pose any direct threat to the coastal areas, it is likely to result in winds along with moderate to heavy rainfalls in Sindh and Balochistan.

According to the Pakistani news outlet Dawn, 13 members of a family died when the roof of their home collapsed due to a landslide induced by incessant rainfall in Upper Dir. The family was in their home in Ramyal village when the landslide hit the region on Friday morning. Meanwhile, in Sindh, at least nine people lost their lives in Jamshoro, Dadu and Mirpurkhas districts.

Not only this, more than 30 people were injured during the heavy rains as the deluge ruptured sewers, breached dykes and swept countless mud houses.

A historic storm is brewing

As per the PMD advisory released at 10:30 pm (local time) on Friday, the cyclone moved westward during the last six hours and was hovering about 120km south of Karachi, 180km southwest of Thatta, 250km southeast of Ormara and 440km east-southeast of Gwadar. The agency forecasted that the system is likely to move west-northwest and then west-southwest.

Explaining the severity of the situation, PMD Director General Mahr Sahibzad Khan said that this was the first time in 60 years, since 1964, that such a cyclone had formed in the region.

During the press briefing, Khan said that the cyclone would cause widespread rains and thunderstorms in Karachi, Tharparkar, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal, Hyderabad, Tando Mohammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Matiari, Umerkot, Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Jamshoro, Dadu and Shaheed Benazirabad districts on Saturday, Dawn reported.

“Saturday would be crucial to see its [cyclone’s] impact. It’s directed towards Oman, but we expect the cyclone to die out at sea,” Chief Meteorologist Dr Sardar Sarfaraz said, adding that coastal areas of Balochistan were likely to see heavier rains than Sindh.