WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
This is surely one to split opinion. First of all, who would willingly put their hand into a tank containing a shark? And secondly - why is there an open top fish tank housing a shark in a shopping centre? Anyone heard of health and safety?
And yet, here is the moment that it happened - this video shows a little girl being savagely bitten by a shark in a shopping centre fish tank, almost severing her fingers in the process.
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CCTV footage from the shopping complex, in the Chinese city of Guiyang, shows the fish biting onto the girl's right hand after she put it near the water. Unsurprisingly, passers-by and fellow shoppers around move away very swiftly as the shark approaches.
The five-year-old was saved by her grandmother who rushed her to hospital for emergency surgery.
Doctor Hong Xiao ofthe Guizhou Orthopedics Hospital said the young patient suffered nine wounds on her right hand from the bite, the worst of which was a two-inch laceration on the back of her index finger.
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The bones in her index and little fingers were fractured, with the digits also suffering severe nerve and tendon damage, the medic said.
The girl's grandmother and aunt had taken her shopping that say and she was viewing the shark tank with other guests when the accident happened.
The grandmother said: "She was just standing there and the shark jumped out of the water and bit her hand. Her bones and tendons - everything was left exposed."
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However, a shopping centre spokesperson claimed the attack was triggered by the girl putting her hand into the water.
He said: "Our surveillance footage showed the girl touching the water's surface, which is what caused [the shark to bite].
"Without touching the water, there was no possibility that the shark would leap out.
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"The shopping centre has always had a shark and turtle tank, which has the required safety measures around it, including warning signs and even announcements.
"There are also two staff members supervising visitors. But at the end of the day, it's the customer's own decision to approach [the shark tank].
"There was unfortunately nothing we could do, but we will make improvements to our safety measure."
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The shopping centre has promised to cover the girl's medical expenses, but it is unclear whether the family will pursue more damages.
According to reports, a man in his 40s was treated at the Guizhou Orthopedics Hospital a day later following a shark bite at the same shopping centre.
Time to remove the tank?
Featured Image Credit: AsiaWireTopics: bite, World News, News, Community, Animals, shark attack, world, shark