A gigantic aquarium that held thousands of tropical fish exploded inside a hotel in Germany, causing enormous amounts of damage.
On December 16, 2o22, a massive aquarium named AquaDom exploded and caused destruction in the lobby of the Radisson Blu in Berlin.
The shattering of the tank - which contained a million liters of water and is home to 1,500 tropical fish of over 100 different species - caused a flood to surge through the reception, cut off electricity, and even made its way to the nearby streets.
When visitors first heard a clamorous noise similar to a thunderclap, they initially thought that a bomb had exploded as glass and debris were sent across the hotel entrance, according to Metro.
Check out the damage below:The attraction opened in December 2003 and was operated by SeaLife, which runs venues at locations internationally. The aquarium was 14m high and was last modernized in 2020.
Per BBC News, it was described as the largest free-standing cylindrical fish tank in the world and was a major tourist attraction in the city as the 10-minute elevator ride through the center was the most prominent part of the hotel.
SeaLife wrote on the website that Aquadom - 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.
Videos of the incident were shared on social media at the time and revealed the devastating results of the eruption, with remnants scattered all around, as well as huge amounts of damage in the hotel's foyer - which also led to guests being moved out of the hotel.
The Berlin Police revealed that at least two people were injured in the shocking incident that caused "incredible maritime damage," as reported by DW News.
In addition to this, a spokesperson for the fire brigade disclosed that emergency responders had been unable to access the ground floor of the building due to the debris on the floor. They added that rescue dogs had been sent to the scene, per Metro.
There was no confirmation on what caused the leak, but The Daily Mail suspects that it was because of the freezing winter temperatures at that time.
The investigation was officially closed by prosecutors on October 24, 2023, after an expert report failed to determine its conclusive cause.
However, due to the unexpected incident, around 350 people who had been staying at the hotel were asked to pack their belongings and leave the building. Buses were sent to the hotel to pick up them and take them to another resort, as stated by the outlet.
Emergency services also shut down a road next to the building that leads from Alexanderplatz toward the Brandenburg Gate due to the massive volume of water that had poured out of the hotel.
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