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The glass wall of a massive aquarium in a Shanghai shopping complex inexplicably burst earlier this month, injuring almost 15 people.
According to reports, the incident happened at the Shanghai Orient Shopping Center, just off East Nanjing Road, on Dec. 18. The two-year old tank sent thousands of gallons of water, as well as sharks, turtles and other marine animals, gushing into an area crowded with shoppers and retail staff. Fifteen people were injured in the incident, and three sharks were killed.
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Local authorities are still investigating why the tank failed. “It just suddenly broke and fell off,” an injured victim surnamed Li, who was hit by a metal frame, told the Shanghai Daily.
Almost 23 feet wide and 10 feet tall, the acrylic glass wall of the tank was almost 6 inches thick to withstand the pressure of its contents and was maintained regularly every week. It’s not the first time that the tank has had problems, though: earlier this year, a water pipe in the tank reportedly broke, killing two sharks.
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Authorities said they currently have no plan to rebuild the aquarium.