45 whales die after being stranded on a beach (video)

As many as 45 whales have died after they became mysteriously stranded on a beach in India.

A further 36 whales are said to have been saved by a combined rescue attempt between officials and fishermen who tried to drag them back into the ocean.

See also: Divers find sad humpback whale (video)

A similar incident last happened on the same beach in 1973 when 147 whales died.

According to NDTV the whales started beaching on Monday afternoon on the coast near Tiruchendur.

See also: Girl almost slapped in face by whale

Fishermen were the first to raise the alarm and a forest officer, S. A. Raju said: ""It's very strange and we are examining the whales. We found some of the whales are still alive and struggling for their lives."

According to Al Jazeera, Deepak Bilgi, a local wildlife official, suggested that scientists believe the incident occurred due to disorientation.

One of the whales that died on the beach has been sent for autopsy in the hopes of finding a clearer answer as to why this happened.

It's thought that 37 of the dead whales were adults.