The giant Rubber Duck by artist Florentijin Hofman in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on Sept. 19, 2013. The duck on display in Taoyuan started to deflate after a power outage caused by the 6.3 earthquake that struck Taiwan. It later exploded after workers attempted to re-inflate it. (Ashley Pon/Getty Images)

Artist Florentijn Hofman's giant rubber duck, which has attracted millions of visitors on previous, met an untimely end after sustaining damage caused by the on Thursday.

The 59ft duck began to deflate in northern Taoyuan county when an air pump went off during a on Thursday night, according to AFP.

During an attempt to reinflate it, onto the surface of the lake where it had been installed, the Telegraph said. Officials said the explosion might have been caused by staff trying toreinflatethe duck too fast.

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Officials told local media that damage to the duck would be difficult to repair. Some Taoyuan residents were so upset with the news that country councilor Chan Chiang-tsun called for the fallen duck, according to Taipei Times. The request was declined by the county commissioner.

The Taoyuan county government closed the rubber duck's display area in the Taoyuan Land Art Festival and is planning to borrow another Hofman-designed duck, commissioned by theKaohsiung city government, according to AFP. That duck attracted four million visitors in the southern Taiwanese port during a one-month display, even as battered the area in September.

The giant duck has sailed around the world and has visited 13 cities, including Hong Kong, where it made a splash and , the Wall Street Journal reported.

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