Incident in Rogun: eyewitnesses report injured workers, authorities deny

The authorities of Tajikistan deny reports that workers were injured at the Rogun Hydroelectric Power Station, attributing the incident to a rupture of a water reservoir.

The State Supervision Service for Industrial Safety and Mining reported on October 28 in a letter to Asia-Plus that the accident occurred on October 21 at approximately 16:15 in the construction tunnel of the fourth tier, in section “B” of the hydroelectric station, during concrete work.

According to the agency’s statement, the rupture of the technical water reservoir caused damage to the lower reservoir, resulting in water from two containers spilling onto the work site of employees from the subcontracting company “Sino Hydro.”

The authorities stated that the workers did not sustain serious bodily injuries and returned to their duties after receiving first aid.

However, Radio Ozodi, citing eyewitnesses, reported that more than five workers were injured.

In a video obtained by Radio Ozodi on October 27, water, earth, and stones can be seen falling from the tunnel, covering several people. Sources from the publication, whose names are not disclosed for safety reasons, noted that the incident occurred on October 22.

One of the employees of the hydroelectric station told Radio Ozodi that due to the collapse of part of the rock near the tunnel, earth and stones accumulated, which later fell down under the influence of water.

According to the publication, a working group has been established to investigate the causes of the incident. It is checking the condition of the water reservoirs, the stability of the supports, and compliance with safety regulations.

Questions about the safety of workers at the Rogun HPP have arisen before. According to Radio Ozodi, in 2025, the authorities reported eight accidents during the construction of the hydroelectric station. However, the exact number of fatalities or injuries remains unknown.