Two Chinese engineers among four dead as Tarbela Dam shuttering collapses in Haripur

E-Paper | May 01, 2026

PESHAWAR: Four people including two Chinese engineers and two Pakistani nationals were killed as the shuttering of the Tarbela Dam collapsed in Haripur, police said Sunday.

The shuttering collapsed during construction work on the Tarbela Dam extension project, Station House Officer Topi Sultan Mehmood Khan said.

Four other people, including two Chinese nationals, were injured during the incident.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif conveyed his condolences to the families of the Chinese engineers who lost their lives, Radio Pakistan reported.

The prime minister directed the concerned authorities to make quick arrangements to send the bodies of the deceased engineers to their home country and ensure the well-being and safety of Chinese engineers working on the project.

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Rizwan

Jul 03, 2016 03:53pm

Feel sad for the precious lives lost.

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Naseem Ahmad

Jul 03, 2016 03:59pm

Oh how, the importance of chinese workers, but not a mention of Pakistani workers, who are also human being, they deserve the same condolence. Treat every human being as an equal.

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Naxalite

Jul 03, 2016 04:55pm

Huge Loss! RIP

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Timeto stopthis

Jul 03, 2016 05:01pm

Pakistani lives matter too!!! Why no condolence to their families from the PM?

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AHA

Jul 03, 2016 06:08pm

This is an example of poor planning and quality of work

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Jamal

Jul 03, 2016 06:31pm

Did self exiled PM also extended condolences for fellow Pakistanis who lost their lives? All humans lives are important - from human perspectives indeed.

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Shahryar Shirazi

Jul 03, 2016 07:08pm

I don't understand, why do we have to rely on foreign engineers ? We have a good pool of engineering staff which can take care of things.

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Dilawar

Jul 03, 2016 07:40pm

This incidence should have called for a review of the design of form work for concrete -- commonly called "shuttering" in Pakistan. More importantly a review of the safety management plans and procedures should be performed , making sure such incidences and hazards are mitigated in future. Construction of hydro power projects is a high risk activity. In the developed world there exists Safety Authority -- with the main aim to ensure worker and public safety. Dilawar, Canada

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Gurjit Singh Brar - Tohada Proana

Jul 03, 2016 07:57pm

Sad incident but, no word for local workers.

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khurram

Jul 03, 2016 08:06pm

We need to know exactly what went wrong. What is the timeline of inquiry report.

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Political Science

Jul 03, 2016 08:17pm

Why and how the shuttering collapsed,must be investigated, and those at fault be punished.

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AMIR BANGASH

Jul 03, 2016 08:25pm

A very sad incident. They have sacrificed their lives for the better cause of serving humanity. RIP.

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ajamal

Jul 03, 2016 09:44pm

Why PM has to direct from London? Is relief and rescue directed from PM house?

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Zak

Jul 04, 2016 12:38am

'The prime minister directed the concerned authorities to make quick arrangements to send the bodies of the deceased engineers to their home country and ensure the well-being and safety of Chinese engineers working on the project.' And any word about the brave Pakistani engineers ,Mr PM.

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Zak

Jul 04, 2016 12:40am

Chinese are true friends. Our prayers for all the 4 brave engineers.

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xpakistani

Jul 04, 2016 12:40am

@ SHAHRYAR SHIRAZI - Sometimes you need specialized assistance, not all engineers are the same. Unfortunately, engineers in the sub-continent always take supervisory roles, all they do mostly is mindlessly sign papers and leave the real work to people with certificates and three year diplomas. So please if somebody is helping you, please appreciate it, don't turn the narrative in some other direction. Our attitude to work is known to everybody and plus the corruption.

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Ravi Vancouver

Jul 04, 2016 04:41am

@ajamal Chinese are special friends of Pakistan for all time. Nawaz Sharif did right thing of sending condolences for Chinese engineers working at site who lost life due to failure at dam.

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brar

Jul 04, 2016 05:23am

Very sad indeed but local workers are also humans ,what will the feelings of their families their is a lapse on the part of PMO staff also. RIP brave men you gave tour lives for your country and the common men will surely remember you because you were from them RIP.

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joe

Jul 04, 2016 07:18am

@Shahryar Shirazi If you had,you would have made use of them. Poor Chinese

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deepak

Jul 04, 2016 02:14pm

@Shahryar Shirazi - Because whenever china invest .. they send their engineers... so they get money back

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Sant

Jul 04, 2016 02:20pm

Very sad but that's problem with Chinese products We need quality over quantity

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roarwali

Jul 04, 2016 06:08pm

Did our so called PM mention pakistanis who lost their lives too?

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Jul 04, 2016 08:33pm

shuttering mistakes and priceless loss.may their soul's take rest in peace.

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Muhammad Ali

Jul 04, 2016 09:39pm

@Shahryar Shirazi I am sorry about disagreeing you. I am sorry for the lives, may God bless them. Honestly speaking, I have witnessed Pakistani FWO army engineers on the Karakorum Highway and they are too poor to be engineers. They failed terribly in the Attabad Lake disaster. They made huge claims to clear the spillway in a month but they could not clear it in years. This led to the drowning of upstream villages and huge losses to property and also lives. Funnily, they stopped the Chinese engineers to work on the spillway because of over smartness.

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Gilgit Baltistan

Jul 05, 2016 12:32am

Who was Safety Officer and which Engineer was responsible to check loads on Scaffolding /shuttering.

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