Berlin: World's largest free-standing aquarium explodes

https://people.com/pets/berlin-aquarium-at-radisson-hotel-holding-1500-tropical-fish-explodes/

Berlin Aquarium at Radisson Hotel Holding 1,500 Tropical Fish Explodes

The early-morning incident sent thousands of gallons of water, fish and debris into the streets of the German capital on Friday



PHOTO: KAY NIETFELD/DPA/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES


A massive aquarium inside the lobby of the Radisson Blu hotel burst on Friday, forcing thousands of gallons of water, tropical fish and debris into the frigid streets of Berlin, Germany.


When the 50-foot-tall, 38-foot-wide AquaDom aquarium, described by its makers as the world's largest freestanding aquarium, exploded before 6 a.m. local time, it roused hotel guests from their sleep and later forced their evacuation, according to multiple outlets including The New York Times.


At least two people were taken to the hospital for injuries from broken glass, the outlet reported, after nearly 100 first responders arrived at the scene, near the central square of Alexanderplatz.


About 300 guests were evacuated from the hotel, according to the Associated Press.



ADAM BERRY/GETTY IMAGES
"It's a picture of devastation with lots of dead fish and broken shards," Sandra Weeser, a member of the federal parliament who was staying at the hotel, said in an interview with a local TV station, adding about the fish: "The ones that might have been saved were frozen to death."


About 1,500 tropical fish spanning 100 species were enclosed in the cylindrical aquarium, which wrapped around the hotel's glass elevator and afforded an inside-out view of the sea life, per the Times.


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PETER MEISSNERULLSTEIN BILD VIA GETTY IMAGE
"The fish that have survived are being moved as safely as possible," Markus Kamrad, an official at the Berlin Senate, told the Times. "Our Plan A is to reactivate the electricity. Plan B would be to bring them to a safe location, and we have some offers from places that say they are ready to take them."

Officials do not yet know the reason for the incident, but they were investigating any structural issues that may have affected the hotel as a result of the explosion.




Local media relayed that a technical defect may be to blame; police do not think it was a targeted attack, the BBC reported.


The aquarium, which held the Guinness World Record, debuted in 2003. At the time of its construction, it cost nearly $14 million.

 

All dead except for a few.

The river Spree runs right next to it, but it's freezing temperatures and these are tropical fish...so even if some had been swept into it...well.

Looks like a few got swept into the underground floors and firemen could put them into buckets.

It was very lucky that this happened at 5:43 a.m. - only two receptionists in the lobby who somehow managed to get out alive. Any other time, people would have died. Normally, during the day, there were lots of tourist groups inside the aquarium (in an elevator). They would have died. And that lobby is usually always very busy.

 

We have been on a downhill slope of suckitude for at least 20 years.

 

They renovated it for a long time just about 2 years ago. Let's just say I am very familiar with that building and that aquarium...

 

At least one receptionist would have been there, looks like he/she managed to react quickly and run out. This would have been the person most at risk of getting killed by falling glass/water.