Recently, a horrifying incident occurred in the underwater world of the Mekong River in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China, where a performer was attacked by a giant fish. A 22-year-old Russian mermaid actress was bitten on the head by a huge fish during a performance, but fortunately managed to break free quickly. However, despite being injured, she was asked to continue performing and was only given approximately 700 Chinese yuan as “spiritual compensation” afterwards.
On January 29, a thrilling video went viral on mainland China’s internet, showing a mermaid actress performing in an aquarium. A giant fish swam near her and suddenly opened its mouth, biting the actress’s head, causing screams from the shocked audience. Luckily, the fish released her soon after, allowing the actress to free herself and quickly swim to the surface.
According to the Daily Mail, the mermaid actress is a 22-year-old Russian woman named Masha. Although Masha was wearing protective goggles during the performance, she sustained injuries to her head, neck, and eyelids. After the incident, Masha publicly shared photos of her injuries on Telegram.
In response, staff at the Mekong River underwater world stated that the actress was fine, and the attraction was operating normally, although the mermaid performance scheduled for January 29 was temporarily suspended.
However, as reported by Russian media, Masha continued to experience pain after being bitten and was forced to return to perform inside the aquarium. Subsequently, the Mekong River underwater world only offered around 78 pounds (approximately 700 Chinese yuan) as “spiritual compensation” and demanded that she not disclose the details of the incident in an attempt to cover it up.
The Mekong River underwater world is a freshwater aquarium known for housing various native fish species from the Mekong River and Yangtze River, as well as some rare amphibians. However, the aquarium has not yet revealed the specific type of fish that attacked Masha.
In the aftermath of this shocking incident, concerns have been raised about the safety protocols and treatment of performers in aquatic attractions. The exploitation of performers and the lack of proper compensation for injuries sustained during performances have sparked outrage among the public.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of performers in entertainment settings, and the need for transparency and accountability in addressing such incidents to prevent similar tragedies in the future.