Web Desk:
According to the national media, the largest free-standing cylindrical aquarium in the world and home to 1,500 tropical fish burst open Friday (December 16) and flooded the Radisson Blu hotel and nearby streets in the German capital.
The massive aquarium stood 46 ft (14 meters) tall and contained over a million liters of water, and was the centerpiece attraction of the Radisson Blu hotel foyer in the DomAquaree leisure complex in Berlin.
The 1,500 fish from the aquarium died, said a spokesperson for Union Investment, which manages the real estate fund that owns the property.
The Berlin Police reported “incredible maritime damage”, and two people were injured by glass shards. Debris from the shattering flooded out onto the streets along with over 100 varieties of marine life.
Efforts are underway to rescue fish from several smaller tanks that were near the AquaDom and that escaped destruction but have been subjected to power cuts in the building, he said.
Around 350 people who had been staying at the hotel in the complex were asked to pack their belongings and leave the building.
Emergency services shut a major road next to the complex that leads from Alexanderplatz toward the Brandenburg Gate due to the large volume of water that had flooded out of the building.
A spokesperson for the fire brigade told Reuters it was still unclear what had caused the AquaDom aquarium to burst.
