Rock Collapse Forces Emergency at Chinese-Built Tarbela Dam Expansion in Pakistan
The incident follows a 2025 cofferdam breach that delayed the project by at least two years and pushed its cost to about $1.14 billion.
TL;DR
- A rock mass collapsed during tunnel excavation at the Tarbela Dam 5th Extension Project on November 9th.
- The collapse breached a protective bund, causing water to flood the tunnels and powerhouse facilities.
- An emergency was declared, and routine construction was suspended.
- The 1,530-megawatt project is contracted to China's PowerChina and co-financed by the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
- This incident follows a previous cofferdam breach that delayed the project until approximately 2028 and increased costs by over 285 percent.
- Further investigations into site engineering and contractor execution have been triggered.