Caught on camera: Moment 33-ton aquarium bursts in shopping centre, showering crowds with LIVE SHARKS and shards of glass

This is the shocking moment a 33-ton glass shark tank suddenly burst leaving 15 people injured by flying shards of broken glass and a torrent of water.

The tank was an attraction at the entrance to the Shanghai Orient shopping centre in China's second largest city when it shattered without warning on December 19.

Eight of those hurt were customers and the rest were shop assistants and security staff. They mostly suffered deep cuts and bruises from sheets of broken glass.



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Ready to burst: The tank was an attraction at the entrance to the Shanghai Orient shopping centre in China's second city A rush of water and broken glass bursts out of the tank and heads towards the people looking at it Water engulfs the area in front of the shark tank pouring over everything before it

A police spokesman said: ' There were lots of injuries caused by flying glass, some of them serious because the glass was so thick. We are investigating what caused this.'

Three lemon sharks and dozens of turtles and smaller fish, which were housed in the aquarium, were also victims of the accident that was caught on CCTV.



In the footage below, it is possible to see that the majority of the people were standing right near the aquarium when it exploded.

Shoppers fled in panic as shards of 15cm thick acrylic glass gave way, flooding the entrance of the shopping centre.

Before: The aquarium was a popular attraction at the shopping centre in Shanghai

Three lemon sharks were among the victims when the tank burst The 15 people left injured were taken to hospital. Most were hurt by the flying glass Shards of 15cm thick acrylic glass gave way, flooding the entrance of the shopping centre There have been problems with the tank before, as in June a ruptured water pipe led to the death of two sharks and the removal of several turtles

Wreckage: Fifteen people were left injured and the front of the display was left ruined

The CCTV footage showed sheets of broken glass left strewn across the floor in Shanghai In another part of the shopping centre a shop worker was shown injured and was carried off

High-end make-up counters were damaged in the December 19 incident

While no official reason has been given for the accident, customers said that they believe a sudden drop in temperature may have caused the burst, as the weather apparently grew much colder in Shanghai last week.

The aquarium was reportedly very popular when it first opened before the National Day holiday two years ago, but there have been problems with the tank before, as in June a ruptured water pipe led to the death of two sharks and the removal of several turtles.

Chen Yongping, an official with the shopping centre management, said that they are not going to 'build an aquarium again in the future'.

