North Beach Pier in Durban.
Roger de la Harpe/Educational Image/Universal Image
A freak wave killed three swimmers, including a teenager, on Durban’s North Beach on Saturday afternoon.
Thirty-five lifeguards took part in the “massive rescue effort” as paramedics treated more than 100 people trapped in the incident, according to a statement from the eThekwini municipality.
Robert Mckenzie, spokesman for KwaZulu-Natal emergency services, said 17 people were seriously injured and taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Emergency services said they feared the death toll would rise.
Durban has been gradually reopening its beaches after lockdown due to high levels of E.coli coming from the city’s sewage system, badly damaged by deadly flooding earlier this year.
Hundreds of thousands of tourists have already flocked to Durban’s warm beaches since early December, according to the mayor.
– additional information from AFP
We live in a world where fact and fiction blur.
In uncertain times, you need journalism you can trust. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analysis, investigative journalism, featured opinions, and a variety of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today. Thereafter, you will be billed R75 per month. You can cancel at any time and if you cancel within 14 days, you will not be billed.
