Pakistan's Giant Tarbela T-5 Project | 1,530 MW Tunnel Collapse Flooding Incident | Pakistan A major construction emergency occurred at Pakistan's Tarbela 5th Extension Hydropower Project (T-5) on November 9, 2026, after water suddenly entered a connecting tunnel and the under-construction powerhouse area. Initial reports described a protective bund breach, while WAPDA later clarified that a weak rock mass collapsed during excavation of the second bench of the Connecting Tunnel, allowing water from the Intake Pit to enter the construction areas. Located at Tarbela Dam in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Tarbela 5th Extension Project is designed to generate an additional 1,530 MW of hydropower using three 510 MW generating units. Once completed, the project is expected to increase Tarbela's installed power generation capacity from 4,888 MW to 6,418 MW. Its major engineering components include the Intake Structure, Connecting Tunnel, Penstock, Powerhouse, Tailrace Culvert and Switchyard. Following the November 9 incident, construction activities were suspended and workers were evacuated. Local authorities reported that one worker caught in the water was rescued. WAPDA stated that all workers were safe, with no reported injuries or fatalities. WAPDA also clarified that the main T-5 tunnel, under-construction powerhouse structure, tailrace culvert and switchyard had not sustained damage. The incident did not represent a collapse of Tarbela Dam's main structure. According to WAPDA's November 9 update, water had been drained from the Intake Pit, further inflow into downstream construction areas had stopped, and dewatering operations at the powerhouse had begun. Senior project officials, engineers and contractors were assessing the situation. The project had previously experienced a separate cofferdam failure in August 2025, which was subsequently investigated. The cause and long-term impact of the latest November 2026 incident remain subject to further investigation. Subscribe to Star Urdu and like this video for more documentaries about Pakistan's giant engineering projects, hydropower infrastructure, major dams, construction challenges, hidden engineering wonders and important infrastructure developments. What do you think? What safety measures should be prioritized before construction resumes on the Tarbela T-5 Hydropower Project? AI & Documentary Disclaimer: This educational news documentary is based on publicly reported information, WAPDA statements and available engineering project records as of November 9, 2026. Some visuals may be AI-generated, digitally reconstructed or presented as technical animations to explain the Connecting Tunnel, Intake Pit, powerhouse, water ingress and emergency response. AI-generated scenes are illustrative and should not be considered authentic footage of the incident, verified representations of exact structural damage or original recordings of rescue operations. This documentary does not claim that the main Tarbela Dam collapsed. Investigations into the latest construction incident are ongoing, and subsequent official findings may change the assessment. #StarUrdu #TarbelaDam #TarbelaT5 #Tarbela5thExtension #TarbelaHydropower #TarbelaDamNews #TarbelaTunnel #Pakistan #PakistanEngineering #PakistanMegaProjects #PakistanDams #Hydropower #HydropowerProject #1530MW #DamEngineering #TunnelEngineering #ConstructionEmergency #WaterInflow #Powerhouse #WAPDA #InfrastructureNews #PakistanInfrastructure #CivilEngineering #EngineeringWonders #MegaStructures #PakistanNews #PakistanDocumentary #BreakingNewsPakistan #Shorts #YouTubeShorts - @starurdu