44 Injured as Wave Machine Malfunctions and Creates 10-foot ‘Tsunami’ at Water Park in China

The incident, which left 44 people injured, took place at the Yulong Shuiyun Water Amusement Park in the city of Longjing on Sunday, reports the South China Morning Post.

Investigators say the machine for the wave pool malfunctioned and generated a powerful wave that hurled swimmers into each other and out of the pool.

“According to the initial stages of the investigation, the incident was caused by a power cut that damaged electronic equipment in the tsunami pool control room, which led to the waves in the tsunami pool becoming too big and injuring people,” said a statement from the Longjing city government.

A video surfaced online showing swimmers enjoying themselves in the wave pool before suddenly being confronted by the “tsunami” created by the wave machine.

In the clip, people can be heard screaming as the water splashed over the barrier, knocking some of them over.

 

The water park has since been closed pending an investigation, The Washington Post reported.

Speaking to the Beijing Time, a spokesperson for the park stated that the freak accident was caused by a “mechanical fault,” noting that the attraction will be closed for a day for repairs. He also contradicted official reports and claimed that just 10 people had been hurt.