Eurasianet is an independent news organization that covers news from and about the South Caucasus and Central Asia, providing on-the-ground reporting and critical perspectives on…
A recent industrial “incident” disrupted work on the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan. Depending on which source is to be believed, either no one was harmed or at least five people were injured.
According to Tajikistan’s State Service for the Supervision of Industrial and Mining Safety, an accident occurred in a tunnel at a section of the plant that is under construction on October 21.
The Asia-Plus news agency reported that an industrial reservoir ruptured, causing water to “gush” into the tunnel. “At the time, workers from the subcontractor Sino Hydro were there, performing production work. As a result of the spill, they were caught in the stream of process water,” Asia-Plus quoted an unidentified ministry representative as saying.
The ministry representative insisted “no one was hurt” in the accident, adding that after receiving first aid care, all workers caught up in the accident returned to work.
Reporting on October 27 by RFE/RL’s Radio Ozodi, including video of the accident, suggests that the incident was more serious than portrayed by Tajik officials, contending that some workers were trapped under rubble pushed into the tunnel by the surge of water.
Citing witnesses, the RFE/RL account also said the incident occurred on October 22, and more than five workers were injured. “It was an accident and has nothing to do with the quality of the construction,” RFE/RL quoted a plant worker as saying.
Rogun has an opaque safety record. Tajik officials acknowledged earlier this year that eight accidents occurred at Rogun during 2025 without providing specifics on the nature of the incidents, or how many were injured or killed.
Overall, in 2025, Tajikistan experienced 46 industrial accidents, including incidents in factories and mines, that left 40 dead and 27 injured, according to official data.
If built to its maximum specifications, Rogun will rise 335 meters high, becoming the world’s tallest dam. According to some estimates, the Tajik government still needs to secure almost $6 billion in financing to complete the project.
Eurasianet is an independent news organization that covers news from and about the South Caucasus and Central Asia, providing on-the-ground reporting and critical perspectives on…
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