Technical Water Reservoir Rupture Reported at Rogun Hydropower Plant

Tajikistan authorities have confirmed an incident at the Rogun hydropower plant where technical water reservoirs ruptured inside a construction tunnel. The failure occurred on October 21 at 16:15 during grouting work in section B of the fourth-tier tunnel. An upper collection reservoir burst, damaging a lower drainage tank and sending water into the lower tunnel area where employees of the subcontractor Sino Hydro were working.

The State Service for Safety Supervision in Industry and Mining reported that no personnel were injured and that workers returned to their stations after receiving first aid. This version of events is contested by reports suggesting more than five workers were injured during the flooding. A working group has been established to investigate the cause of the failure, focusing on the technical condition of the reservoirs, the reliability of anchor systems, and general safety compliance at the construction site.

Industrial and mining accidents in Tajikistan resulted in 23 deaths and 19 injuries across 32 incidents in the first half of 2024. This total includes two Chinese nationals and one Iranian citizen – individuals who were employed at the Rogun project. Records indicate eight accidents occurred at the station in 2023, though specific casualty figures for those incidents were not disclosed.