A freestanding cylindrical aquarium housing about 1,500 exotic fish has burst in Berlin, causing a wave of devastation in and around the Sea Life tourist attraction, police have said.
Glass and other debris were swept out of the DomAquar?e complex, which houses a Radisson hotel, a museum, shops and restaurants, as 1m litres of water poured out of the 14-metre-high tank shortly before 6am.
One witness, Gwendolin Szyszkowitz, told the German news channel n-tv she heard a loud bang and initially feared a bomb had exploded.
Berlin’s fire service said two people were slightly injured and rescue dogs were being prepared to search the building for anyone who might be trapped under debris.
“In addition to the unbelievable maritime damage … two people were injured by glass splinters,” Berlin police said on Twitter.
Emergency services shut a major road next to the complex that leads from Alexanderplatz toward the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin due to the large volume of water that had flooded out of the building. The road as well as the pavements outside the complex were littered with debris.
There was speculation that freezing temperatures of as low as -10C (14F) overnight had caused a crack in the tank, which then exploded under the weight of the water. Police said the cause of the incident was still being investigated.
Operators say the aquarium has the biggest cylindrical tank in the world that contained 1,500 tropical fish of 80 different species before the incident. The aquarium, which was last upgraded in 2020, is a major tourist attraction in Berlin. A 10-minute elevator ride through the tank was one of the highlights of the attraction.
Buses were sent to the complex to provide shelter for hotel guests leaving the building.
Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report
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