A huge aquarium located in a busy shopping centre in Shanghai has burst, injuring 15 people.
The 7m long x 3m high tank, weighing around 30 tonnes was situated at the Oriental Department Store on Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall.
According to a report in Shanghai Daily, eight of those injured in the incident on December 18 are thought to have been customers, while the others were either shop or security staff. Most of the injuries sustained were cuts and bruises, although one man suffered a broken leg. One of the injured was hit by a metal frame that broke and fell.
Several cosmetic counters inside the centre were also damaged and water flooded the street outside.
The three 40cm/16" sharks housed in the tank also died, along with some smaller fish.
According to reports, the giant aquarium was built using 15cm/6" thick acrylic. It was installed on the exterior of the shopping mall two years ago, where it looked like a huge shop window. But while it has been a popular attraction, it has had problems in the past. Earlier this year, two sharks died when a water pipe broke - the turtles shown in the picture above were also moved out of the tank as a result.
Police and health and safety officials say that the cause of the incident is being investigated.
A spokesman for the shopping centre said that the aquarium would not be replaced.
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