A massive aquarium that held thousands of tropical fish has erupted inside a hotel in Berlin, Germany.
On Friday, December 16, a giant aquarium containing a million liters of water in the lobby of the Radisson Blu exploded and caused destruction in the hotel and nearby streets.
The AquaDom - home to 1,500 tropical fish of over 100 different species - is 14m high and was described as the largest free-standing cylindrical fish tank in the world, per BBC news.
As reported by the Metro, visitors stated that they heard a loud noise similar to a thunderclap and initially thought that a bomb had detonated as glass and debris were sent across the lobby.
Check out the damage below:The attraction - which was opened in December 2003 - is operated by SeaLife, which runs venues at locations internationally. The aquarium had more than 100 different species of fish.
On its website on Friday, SeaLife wrote that the fish tank - which also has the Guinness World Record for being the world's largest cylindrical aquarium - was temporarily closed and asked visitors to reschedule their tickets.
Footage of the incident shows extensive damage to the aquarium with debris scattered all around, as well as huge amounts of damage in the hotel's foyer - which has also led to guests being moved out of the hotel.
According to Berlin Police, at least two people have been injured in the incident that caused "incredible maritime damage," per DW News.
A spokesperson for the Berlin fire brigade revealed that emergency responders had been unable to access the ground floor of the building due to the debris on the floor. In addition to this, they added that rescue dogs were being sent to the scene, per Metro.
According to Daily Mail, there is speculation that recent freezing temperatures contributed to the leak, but authorities have said the reason for the incident was still being investigated.
The aquarium - which was last modernized in 2020 - is a major tourist attraction in Berlin. The 10-minute elevator ride through the center of the cylindrical tank was the most renowned part of the hotel.
Due to the terrible incident, around 350 people who had been staying at the hotel were asked to pack their belongings and leave the building.
However, as temperatures in Berlin are around -7 degrees, buses were sent to the resort to provide shelter for guests leaving the hotel, per Daily Mail.
Furthermore, emergency services shut down a road next to the building that leads from Alexanderplatz toward the Brandenburg Gate due to the immense volume of water that had surged out of the building.
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