A fishmonger in China reportedly suffered severe internal injuries after a live eel crawled up his bottom when he fell into a tank.

According to The Sun, Li Chang, 43, slipped off his perch while sitting on the edge of a container housing hundreds of the fish.

Chang said: "I guess they were scared when I suddenly landed in the tank so they started wriggling everywhere. Several shot up my trouser leg. And then to my horror I felt one go up my bottom.

"I didn't say anything at first when I climbed out - I was too embarrassed. I dried myself off and tried to carry on working, but it was just too painful."

Chang's co-workers in Gangzhou called the emergency services when he later collapsed and doctors successfully removed the eel and repaired the trauma in surgery lasting five hours.

A hospital spokesman said: "The eel had badly injured the patient. If he had not arrived when he did he would have died. We expect he will make a full recovery, though. The eel was as wide as two fingers and as long as a man's arm."

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