TARBELA: All workers were safely evacuated following a water ingress incident during excavation work at the second Bench Connecting Tunnel of the Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project, Wapda said in a press release on Monday.
According to Wapda, a weak rock mass collapsed during tunnel excavation, allowing water from the Intake Pit to enter the tunnel and the under-construction Power House area. However, all workers were immediately evacuated safely, with no injuries or loss of life reported.
Wapda stated that water from the Intake Pit had been completely drained and no further water was entering the downstream work sites. Dewatering operations in the under-construction Power House had also commenced.
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Senior Wapda officers, the project engineer and the contractor are assessing the situation to address any challenges facing the T-5 project.
Wapda clarified that reports circulating about the collapse of the T-5 tunnel were incorrect, adding that no damage had occurred to the main tunnel, under-construction Power House, tailrace culvert or switchyard.
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