UAE | Emergencies
Dubai Mall aquarium springs a leak
Civil Defence teams, maintenance staff repair 'minor crack' in 10 million-litre structure
- By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 February 26, 2010
- Image Credit: Oliver Clarke/Gulf News
- Security officials rushed to cordon off areas adjacent to the Dubai Mall Aquarium to prevent shoppers from reaching the area where the leak had developed. Security also began evacuating the Mall and escorted shoppers to exit routes.
Dubai: Shoppers on Thursday at the Dubai Mall had to evacuate the area near the aquarium and the front entrance as the world's biggest suspended aquarium sprung a leak.
Water was seen pouring out of the structure but none of the 33,000 sea creatures inside the structure were in any danger. The aquarium has a capacity of 10 million litres of water.
The Dubai Civil Defence confirmed that the aquarium had developed a minor crack and that water was seen leaking out.
A number of teams from the civil defence and the mall's maintenance staff rushed to the scene to attend to the leak. They were still working on the problem at 2pm yesterday, according to Mahmoud Hamad, media spokesman for the Dubai Civil Defence.
The lower-ground and ground-floor areas were cordoned off and cleaners were seen mopping the floor. Staff on the ground yesterday said the attraction would remain closed for the day.
A spokesperson from Dubai Mall said in a press statement issued yesterday: "A leakage was noticed at one of the panel joints of the Dubai Aquarium at The Dubai Mall and was immediately fixed by the aquarium's maintenance team.
"The leakage did not impact the aquarium environment or the safety of the aquatic animals. The Dubai Aquarium works with international experts in aquarium management and upholds the highest safety standards in its management."
Loud noise
Eye-witness Nadine B, 29, from Germany who was walking around Dubai Mall yesterday at midday said she heard a loud noise coming from the aquarium near the H&M outlet on the Ground floor.
"I heard a loud ‘doush' noise and suddenly a lot of water was flowing all over the ground. Water was [flowing] out of the aquarium very quickly and the security guards were asking people to move away from the front of the aquarium," she said.
"I was scared that it might crack so I moved to the first floor. The security people were trying to move the crowd away. One woman was really scared, but others acted like nothing was happening."
Nadine said she did not see any fish or sealife escaping from the aquarium.
"Within 15 minutes the water stopped pouring out and staff came with cleaning machines to mop up the water." The Dubai Civil Defence confirmed that their two teams identified a crack in the lower corner of the aquarium.
— With inputs from Siham Al Najami and Mariam Al Serkal, Staff Reporters, and WAM.
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