Three people were killed and greater than a dozen others injured when a monstrous “strange wave” hit a crowded beach within the South African coastal city of Durban on Sunday.
Emergency Medical Services spokesman Njabulo Dlungele said a gaggle of swimmers were hit by a gaggle of swimmers on Durban’s North Beach pier at around 5pm local time.
“Unfortunately, three people, including an adolescent, died on the spot,” added Dlungele.
EThekwini Municipality reported that those that died were swept away by sea currents and drowned.
At the least 17 people were taken to area hospitals for treatment of injuries sustained in the course of the incident. The condition of the patients was defined as severe or critical.
In line with the municipality, greater than 35 lifeguards participated in rescue operations, caring for greater than 100 people affected by the powerful wave.
![A powerful wave hit a popular beach in Durban, South Africa, on Sunday, killing three people.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/durban-wave-221219-20-1.jpg?w=1024)
![The huge wave pushed swimmers onto Durban's North Beach pier and then dragged many out to sea.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/durban-wave-221219-26-1.jpg?w=1024)
![Paramedics carry a person on a stretcher at the Bay of Plenty beach in Durban, South Africa.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/wave-221219-18-1.jpg?w=1024)
North Beach has been closed within the wake of the fatal incident and an investigation has been launched, local officials said.
Durban is generally a hotspot for activity in the course of the holiday season, attracting local and international visitors to its beaches.
This 12 months’s festive season is predicted to draw many travelers wanting to return to the beaches after years of lockdowns and COVID-19 precautions have limited tourism in Durban.
![The wave affected over 100 people, requiring the assistance of 35 rescuers.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/12/durban-wave-221219-23.jpg?w=1024)
A port city on South Africa’s eastern Indian Ocean coast is progressively reopening its beaches after some were closed on account of high levels of E. coli following devastating flooding in parts of KwaZulu-Natal earlier this 12 months.
With postal wires(*17*)