HARIPUR, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Authorities have launched an inquiry after water flooded a tunnel and an unfinished powerhouse at Tarbela’s fifth extension project on Monday, prompting workers’ evacuation and a halt to construction.
Haripur Deputy Commissioner Waseem Ahmed said investigators would examine whether structural weakness or a technical fault caused the protective embankment breach. Construction work remains suspended indefinitely.
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) officials attributed the water inflow to a weak rock mass that collapsed during excavation of the second bench connecting tunnel. Water from the intake pit then entered the tunnel and powerhouse area.
WAPDA confirmed that teams evacuated every worker safely and reported no injuries or deaths.
According to sources, the federal government sought a high-level investigation on Tuesday and directed investigators to complete their work within a week. They said the Ministry of Water Resources had taken notice of the incident, while the Prime Minister’s Office had expressed serious concern.
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Those sources said the government had instructed authorities to include experts from outside WAPDA and submit findings to the Prime Minister’s Office. They said the government had directed authorities to strengthen safety arrangements at other water development projects under construction.
Meanwhile, WAPDA rejected reports that the main T-5 tunnel had collapsed. It said the main tunnel, unfinished powerhouse, tailrace culvert and switchyard remained undamaged.
Teams drained the intake pit and began removing water from the powerhouse. Senior WAPDA officials, the project engineer, and the contractor assessed conditions at the site. The fifth extension project compri
