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A woman almost lost her hand after putting it into a tank filled with piranhas.

The woman from Saransk, Russia was trying to clean the tank when the carnivorous fish attacked her in a feeding frenzy during which they stripped the flesh from two fingers.

The predators only let go when the woman smashed them against the side of the tank.

Doctors said the woman was lucky not to lose her hand which required surgery to save it.

The woman had thought the tank, which belonged to her son, only contained goldfish. A neighbour said: “She had no idea the pet fish in the tank were predators.”