AquaDom, a massive aquarium holding a million liters of water in Berlin, collapsed on Friday morning, Dec. 16, spilling over a million liters of water (264,000 gallons) onto the grounds and leaving the lobby and streets around the Radisson Blu Hotel flooded.
The said aquarium houses 1,500 tropical fish and is the world's largest free-standing circular aquarium at 15.85 meters (52 feet) in height.
The Berlin police department tweeted that there was "unbelievable maritime damage."
Tragic Event
Dead fish, broken support beams, and shattered glass can be seen in videos and photographs shared on social media by hotel guests.
A German lawmaker staying at the Radisson Collection Hotel, Sandra Weeser, said to local media that she woke up this morning to a minor earthquake, which was really the collapse of the AquaDom. She described the scene following the event as a battle zone.
According to the New York Times' report via Gizmodo, Weeser told a local media outlet that it is a scene of catastrophe with thousands of dead fish and shattered pieces. "The ones that might have been saved were frozen to death."
The Radisson Collection Hotel's AquaDom, which opened in 2003, had 100 rescue workers sent to it. There were reportedly about 350 guests at the hotel when authorities evacuated them due to structural damage risks.
Bro what the fuck the fish tank of my hotel just exploded in the middle of the night WHATS GOING ON. #radissonblu #Berlin #aquarium #Explosion pic.twitter.com/Od8iS9YxBN
— Niklas Scheele (@niklas_scheele) December 16, 2022
Initial Reports
German officials and rescue workers said glass fragments hurt two persons but no fatalities. Based on EuroNews' article, no one knows what led to the incident. Local authorities are still conducting an investigation.
What is less evident in the circulating videos on social media is what happened to most of the 1,500 fish in the tank, who were from around 100 different species.
Initially, reports indicate that law enforcement and emergency personnel at the site could not explain what happened to the fish.
Not too sure what’s happening but there’s a lot of emergency services doing their best #radissonblu #berlin #hotel #aquadom #aquarium pic.twitter.com/EUzEjaE5MM
— Dr Lara Rimmer (@lararimmer) December 16, 2022
The Blast's Survivors
Authorities and emergency personnel first thought all of the fish had been killed in the explosion but later discovered hundreds more in the building's basement. At the very bottom of the broken AquaDom, a little pool of water had a handful of coral reef fish.
Berlin Senate animal protection director Markus Kamrad said they were removing the fish one tank at a time and transferring them to the neighboring Sea Life aquariums. Local vet clinics were stocking up on aquariums in case extra fish housing was required.
Many endangered species, including numerous kinds of cichlid fish, were saved, Kamrad reassured.
After the AquaDom ruptured, the electricity was cut off throughout the facility, putting the remaining fish in the other, smaller aquariums in danger.
The aquarium posted on its website that the AquaDom was closed indefinitely owing to the recent damage.
