A rock mass collapsed at the Tarbela Dam 5th Extension Project (T-5) construction site on Monday, allowing a large volume of water to enter nearby work areas and forcing authorities to suspend construction activities and evacuate workers.
The incident occurred during excavation work at the 2nd Bench Connecting Tunnel, when a weak rock formation gave way and allowed water from the Intake Pit to flow into the under-construction power house and tunnel area.
The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) declared an emergency following the incident. All workers were immediately moved to safer locations. No casualties or injuries were reported.
According to Wapda, the water accumulated in the affected areas was subsequently drained. The authority said no further water was entering the downstream work sites and dewatering operations had begun at the under-construction power house.
Authorities were examining the affected structures to determine whether the incident had caused any damage. Deputy Commissioner Haripur Waseem Ahmed said officials were assessing the condition of the tunnel, power house and other structures at the construction site.
Senior Wapda officials, the project engineer and the contractor were also reviewing the situation to determine the steps required to address any challenges arising from the incident.
Wapda rejected reports suggesting that the main T-5 tunnel had collapsed. It clarified that the main tunnel, under-construction power house, tailrace culvert and switchyard had not sustained damage.
Meanwhile, the district administration issued a public safety advisory following the release of additional water from Tarbela Dam.
Leave a Reply