44 people were injured earlier this week after the wave machine at a water park in northeast China malfunctioned. Video footage of the incident shows a host of individuals and families being caught in a tsunami-sized wave at the Yulong Shuiyun Water Amusement Park in Longjing, near the China-North Korea border.
On Monday, dozens of park-goers were immersed in the wave pool when a tidal wave seemingly came out of nowhere and crashed into them. The incident prompted many tourists to run away, while others were caught in the wave and thrown onto the pavement.
Rumors began circulating that the incident occurred because the wave pool operator was intoxicated, but reports have since cited electrical and mechanical malfunctions.
The South China Morning Post cited a notice issued by the Longjing city government on Weibo, which confirmed that 44 people had been injured in the wave pool, with five people still being treated at the hospital for fractured ribs, broken bones, and serious abrasions. “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 read.
A theme-park employee told the Beijing Times that a machinery error caused the malfunction. "Online rumors say that a worker wrongly operated the controls, but in reality it was a problem with the equipment,” the worker said. “The park closed for a day for repairs, but the investigation is over and the park will open as usual tomorrow.”
