Shanghai’s iconic landmark, the Oriental Pearl Tower, experienced an incident where cracks appeared on the observation glass. A tourist recorded a video and claimed that the glass beneath their feet suddenly shattered, causing them to be frightened. This news quickly went viral online, sparking heated discussions and becoming a hot topic trending on social media.
In the early morning of June 26th, a netizen posted a video on social media, stating that “Shanghai TV Tower is about to explode.” The video showed a section of transparent glass flooring in the Oriental Pearl Tower with numerous cracks, shocking viewers. The incident garnered a lot of attention and discussion, with many netizens sharing photos they had taken while standing on the observation glass.
In a video circulating online, the person filming pointed at the cracked glass beneath their feet and said, “My foot was right here, and then the glass shattered, scaring me with the noise.”
According to reports by Da Wanzhou News, the location where the netizen filmed appears to be the “360-degree all-transparent suspended sightseeing corridor” on the second-largest sphere of the Oriental Pearl Broadcasting and Television Tower. This facility is highlighted as a major touristic feature on the official website of the Oriental Pearl Tower. Information indicates that the reinforced glass used in the sightseeing corridor can bear a maximum weight of 800 kilograms per square meter.
Regarding the cracked glass shown in the video, on the afternoon of June 26th, staff from the Oriental Pearl Tower responded by saying, “We have promptly dealt with the situation, and it is now very safe.” However, they did not disclose the specific cause of the cracks.
The official WeChat account of the Oriental Pearl Tower previously introduced in 2018 that the sightseeing corridor adheres to high design standards, capable of accommodating 30 adults and large sandbags simultaneously, emphasizing its safety. Nevertheless, following the incident, there have been raised concerns online about the safety management of the observation tower, questioning whether further safety inspections should be conducted, especially regarding the expansion and contraction of transparent glass materials and their load-bearing capacity in high temperatures.
As of now, authorities have not revealed more detailed information about the follow-up actions nor have they announced temporary closure for inspection and repairs.
Shanghai has been experiencing a continuous heatwave, with temperatures surpassing 35°C multiple times in mid to late June, and some surface temperatures nearing 60°C.