Original Coverage & Source Attribution: www.tribuneindia.com
Pakistan’s troubled Tarbela Dam 5th Extension Hydropower Project has suffered another setback after a rock mass collapsed during excavation work, sending water into parts of the construction site and forcing authorities to halt work.
Videos of the dam collaps have gone viral.
A Pakistani dam built by Chinese companies collapsed the result mass floods in Pakistan unreal the level of incompetence in such a complex and dangerous structure see the video. https://t.co/wnR7aX3PuG
— Hugo Moreira (@HfcmoreiraHugo) November 9, 2026
The incident occurred at the under-construction 1,530-megawatt project when a weak rock mass collapsed during excavation of a connecting tunnel. Water from the intake pit entered the tunnel and the powerhouse area, prompting an emergency evacuation of workers.
Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) said all workers were safely evacuated and no injuries or deaths were reported. It added that the main tunnel, powerhouse, tailrace culvert and switchyard had not been damaged. Dewatering operations have begun, while officials assess the impact on the project, reports Dawn
The latest incident comes months after a cofferdam collapse at the same project. A government inquiry had blamed unauthorised design changes and contractual failures involving the contractor, consultant and WAPDA.
The earlier collapse delayed the project by at least two years and pushed its estimated cost up by more than 285%, from PKR 82 billion to PKR 317 billion. The project, involving Chinese firms, is now scheduled for completion in June 2028 instead of 2026, reports India Today.
The project is financed partly through loans from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
