Leaking water from a shark-filled tank at the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo forced the partial evacuation of one of the largest shopping centres in the Middle East yesterday (25 February).

According to the Guardian, water was reportedly seen pouring out from behind a 750mm-thick viewing panel at the attraction, which boasts a collection of more than 33,000 marine animals and forms the centrepiece of the Dubai Mall, United Arab Emirates. A statement from Emaar - the property group which owns the Dubai Mall, was quoted as saying: "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." Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo opened its doors to the public in 2008 and features the world's largest acrylic viewing panel at 32.9m (107.9ft) wide and 8.3m (27.2ft) high.

The incident follows reports that another Emaar attraction, Burj Khalifa, closed its doors to the public due to "unexpected high traffic" and "technical issues with the power supply".