Story highlights Strong wave caused bike path to drop about 25 meters to the beach, city says

Rio de Janeiro mayor inaugurated the path in January

Rio de Janeiro (CNN) The host city for the 2016 Summer Olympics was hit with a setback Thursday when a large portion of a multimillion-dollar seaside bike path collapsed, killing two people and injuring three others.

The deaths came hours after the Olympic torch was lit in Greece as a prelude to the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

According to the city's government, a strong wave struck, causing a 50-meter (164-foot) stretch of the path to detach and drop about 25 meters (82 feet). It happened roughly 800 meters (nearly half a mile) from Sao Conrado Beach.

Rio de Janeiro municipal spokesman Pedro Paulo Carvalho told journalists at the scene that at least two people had died. Firefighters told CNN the victims were two males and that three other people had been rescued.

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