World’s largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium bursts in Berlin

One million liters of water and debris were spilled onto a busy road in the Mitte district on Friday after one of the largest freestanding aquariums in the world located in a hotel in central Berlin exploded.

The 1,500 tropical fish from 80 different species were housed in a circular tank that was 14 meters high.

The incident at the AquaDom aquarium reportedly occurred at about 5.50 am (local time). The origin of the burst is being looked into.

According to sources, the leak may have been caused by the frigid conditions, but police spokesperson Martin Stralau said the incident’s cause was still under investigation.

“In addition to the unbelievable maritime damage,” Berlin police wrote on Twitter, “two people were injured by glass splinters.”

Berlin’s public transport office said on Twitter that the nearby Karl-Liebknecht street has been partially closed down due to the “extreme amount of water on the road”.

Even though there are allegations that emergency personnel cannot enter the ground floor of the structure because of the rubble, the Berlin fire brigade has been dispatched to the scene.

The Berlin Fire Brigade said that search and rescue dogs had also been dispatched to the area.

The complex’s hotel, where more than 350 people are reportedly staying, has been ordered to vacate the area immediately.

According to the police, buses were sent to the complex since it was about minus 7 degrees Celsius outside and guests were leaving the hotel without shelter.

The aquarium reportedly contains the largest circular tank in the entire world, according to the staff. It was most recently updated in 2020 and is a significant tourist attraction in Berlin.

The 10-minute elevator journey through the tank was one of the main attractions.