Water surges into downstream work areas after rock mass collapse at Tarbela Dam
SWABI: A rock mass collapsed at the Tarbela Dam 5th Extension Project construction site on Monday, causing a surge of water to enter downstream work areas. An emergency was declared following the collapse, construction work was suspended and workers were directed to move to safer areas. The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said in a statement that water entered the under-construction…
On Monday, a rock mass collapse at the Tarbela Dam 5th Extension Project construction site led to a surge of water entering downstream work areas, forcing an emergency declaration and the suspension of construction activities. The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) disclosed that the incident occurred during excavation work on the 2nd Bench Connecting Tunnel, where a weak rock mass gave way, allowing water from the Intake Pit to infiltrate the tunnel and power house area.
Wapda assured that all workers were safely evacuated and that no further water entry was occurring. Dewatering efforts at the under-construction power house commenced, and senior Wapda officials, the project engineer, and the contractor were working to evaluate the impact on the T-5 project. The statement explicitly refuted reports of tunnel damage, emphasizing that the main tunnel, power house, tailrace culvert, and switchyard remained intact, with no injuries or fatalities reported among the workforce.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
