Wave pool malfunctions, causing ‘tsunami’ that injures 44 people at water park

LONGJING, China - A machine malfunction caused a “tsunami” in a wave pool that hurled swimmers onto the pavement and injured 44 people at a water park in China on Sunday. 

A viral video captured the colossal wave and the subsequent screaming families at Yulong Shuiyun Water Amusement Park in Longjing, China near the border with North Korea. A woman could be seen on the ground with her knees bloodied, the Washington Post reported.

The Longjing city government posted a notice on Weibo Tuesday saying five people were still being treated in the hospital for injuries, including fractured ribs, but their condition is stable, the South China Morning Post reported.

“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,” the notice said.

The water park closed down the tsunami pool during the ongoing investigation, according to the notice. 

Some people who shared the video online claimed without evidence that the worker operating the wave machine was drunk, the U.K.‘s Independent reported. But officials at the water park denied the claim, adding that the machinery broke down, the report said. 

Yulong Shuiyun Water Amusement Park, which opened in 2015, has become a popular tourist attraction, drawing about half a million visitors a year, according to the outlet. 

This story was reported in Los Angeles.