Chinese Slip Up and Melons Are to Blame

BEIJING —  More than 1,000 people in Shanghai suffered broken bones after slipping on watermelon rinds littering streets and parks during the summer melon-eating season, the China Daily newspaper said Monday.

The number of melon rind accidents this summer set a record as more than 1,000 people suffering from fractures were admitted to four Shanghai hospitals in just one month, the paper said.

Chinese citizens consume millions of tons of melons each summer to cool off in the sweltering months of July and August. In Beijing alone, officials estimate residents disposed of 50,000 tons of rinds this summer--with street cleaners working around the clock to remove the waste.