Huge Aquarium Bursts Inside Hotel Lobby In Berlin – Spraying Bystanders With Water And Debris

A massive aquarium in Berlin has burst, spilling debris, water, and hundreds of tropical fish from the AquaDom tourist attraction in the German capital’s heart. Parts of the building, which also houses a hotel, cafes, and a chocolate shop, were damaged when 1 million liters (264,000 gallons) of water poured from the aquarium shortly before 6 a.m., according to the police (05:00 GMT).

in Berlin, it was 14 degrees Fahrenheit which might have caused cracks in the acrylic tank, which burst under the weight of the water.

Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said the incident had unleashed a “veritable tsunami” of water, but the timing had prevented far more injuries, according to the AP. “Unfortunately, none of the 1,500 fish could be saved,” she said, describing the lack of serious human injuries as a “blessing in disguise” and drawing ire from animal rights activists on social media who mourned the loss of up to 80 species of tropical fish. Sea Life Berlin announced in a statement that its aquarium, which is housed in the same hotel complex, would remain closed until further notice

Two people were injured by the exploding glass and debris, but none were found trapped beneath the rubble, Berlin’s fire department said in a statement on Twitter. The fish did not survive, the authorities said. The AquaDom, located inside the Radisson hotel just minutes from Berlin’s famous Museum Island, was billed as the world’s largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium. According to the operators of Sea Life Berlin, it housed over 1,500 tropical fish. A 10-minute elevator ride through the 82-foot-tall tropical tank was a popular attraction in the German capital.