Authorities in Berlin, Germany are sifting through the rubble of an indoor ocean disaster after a giant, nearly 50-feet high aquarium unexpectedly shattered in the early morning hours Friday, severely damaging the lobby of the hotel it was housed in.
CNN reports two people were injured and nearly 100 firefighters responded to the scene after approximately 264,000 gallons of water were suddenly let loose from the giant aquarium at the Raddisson Blue Hotel at around 5:45 a.m. The waters rushed through the lobby and out the front entrances of the hotel, sending glass, furniture, and other debris out into the street out front. The accident sent so much debris out the doors that authorities were forced to shut the street down.
Locally, the aquarium was better known as the AquaDom. The aquarium was often billed as the world's largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium. The center of the aquarium featured an elevator for guests to marvel at the wonders of the sea. According to Atlas Obscura, the giant tank cost 13 million Euros to build. The tank was so large that it required scuba divers to help maintain it. According to CNBC, it was last refurbished in 2020. The sound and vibration of the aquarium shattering woke guests, many of whom posted videos of the shattered tank on social media.
"It felt like an earthquake," Naz Masraff, one of the hotel's guests told reporters.
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By all accounts, there were some rescue efforts made to save some of the fish, although it's unclear at this moment how many have died. The tank housed tropical species and temperatures in Berlin were around 19° outside at the time of the incident. On social media, some speculated the low temperatures may have led to the destruction.
In the meantime, buses were sent to the hotel and all the guests were relocated while the incident is investigated, and the mess cleaned up.
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