A shocking incident occurred at the Radisson Collection Hotel in Berlin when the world’s largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium suddenly exploded. The 82-foot tank, which held around a million litres of water and was home to 1,500 tropical fish, caused a loud bang that many initially mistook for a bomb.
The explosion sent huge sheets of glass across the hotel lobby, making it inaccessible to emergency responders who had to send search and rescue dogs to the scene. Two people were injured by glass splinters and 1,500 fish are believed to have died.
Hotel guests were quickly evacuated from the building and it is thought the recent freezing temperatures may have been the cause of the tank’s destruction.
In a statement, the Radisson Collection said:
“The aquarium of the AquaDom Berlin which is located in the Radisson Collection hotel, Berlin, collapsed. As far as we know to date, no guests were injured and together with the authorities we are looking into the cause of the incident.”
“We have immediately closed the hotel until further notice and are relocating guests.”
The incident has left many visitors stunned, with one guest saying they were woken up at 4:30am by a rumbling beneath them.
With the cause of the aquarium’s explosion still being investigated, it remains to be seen how the hotel will recover from such a devastating incident.
