An aquarium with a million liters of water burst in the lobby of the central Radisson Blu hotel in Berlin. As a result of the incident, two people were injured, the hotel and surrounding streets were flooded.
As tells BBC, the AquaDom’s huge tropical fish tank was 14 meters high – it’s the largest free-standing cylindrical aquarium in the world. Police said there had been “incredible damage to the marine environment” and reported two people injured by glass shards. The lobby of the hotel was significantly damaged. The guests were evicted from the hotel after the incident at 05:50.
Piles of glass are scattered in front of the hotel building, which is closed due to flooding, and the front doors, damaged by the explosion, hang at an angle to the street. Two years ago, the unusual fish tank was modernized, and the hotel built a transparent elevator for visitors. Even some rooms are advertised as having an aquarium view.
Authorities said the Karl Liebknecht Street near the hotel was closed due to “an extraordinary amount of water on the road.” Police have warned that “massive amounts” of water are leaking into nearby streets and people in the area should be careful. The Berlin fire brigade said that more than 100 firefighters were present at the scene, and it is not yet clear what caused it.
The aquarium contained over a hundred different species of tropical fish. Authorities said the attraction was temporarily closed and asked patrons to reschedule tickets for another day. AquaDom was opened in December 2003 and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest cylindrical aquarium in the world. Its construction cost 12.8 million euros.
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