Massive suspended aquarium containing 1,500 fish and a million litres of water 'explodes' inside Berlin hotel

16 December 2022, 10:16 | Updated: 16 December 2022, 15:08

A massive aquarium in a hotel in Berlin 'exploded', sending a million litres of water flooding into the hotel and nearby streets.

The ‘AquaDom’ aquarium was home to 1,500 tropical fish and was described as the largest free-standing cylindrical aquarium in the world.

Police said two people were injured by shattering glass and footage on social media shows the devastated lobby of the hotel.

Hundreds of fish killed after huge aquarium tank bursts in Berlin

Berlin’s fire brigade said it is not clear what cause the aquarium to break. There was speculation freezing temperatures as low as minus 10C overnight caused a crack in the tank, which then exploded under the weight of the water.

"We have not yet been able to walk the first floor completely, which is probably where these fish will be," fire service spokesman Adrian Wentzel said.

"But the thing is that the water has completely leaked out and these about 1,400 fish that were in this aquarium could not be saved either."

The shattered shell of the aquarium could be seen in clips on social media, with water pouring into the lobby.

The aquarium contained 100 different types of fish.

Sandra Weeser, a guest at the hotel, said she was woken up by a large bang and thought there might have been an earthquake.

"There are shards (of glass) everywhere. The furniture, everything has been flooded with water," she said. "It looks a bit like a war zone."

One guest wrote online: “The tank in our hotel blew?

“The inside has been blown outwards. Still a lot of water coming out.

“Not too sure what’s happening but there’s a lot of emergency services doing their best.

“Being evacuated now.”

Another wrote: “Staying in the Radisson Collection in Berlin, where the huge aquarium (part of) has shattered and flooded the hotel lobby. Apparently nobody has been hurt, fingers crossed that is true. I was woken up at 4:30 ish by a rumbling beneath us.”

A third posted: “Bro what the f*** the fish tank of my hotel just exploded in the middle of the night WHATS GOING ON.”

More than 100 firefighters were called to the scene.

"In addition to the unbelievable maritime damage... two people were injured by glass splinters," Berlin police tweeted.

Guests at the hotel hear a very loud noise around 4.45am GMT and woke up to find debris and parts of the hotel’s facade had been blasted out onto the street.

Traffic officials said a ‘large volume of water’ had spilled onto the street outside and police described a ‘massive amount’ of water flowing out onto the street below.

The aquarium was filled with one million litres of salt water, equating to 1,000 cubic meters of water weighing 1,000 metric tons. 

A popular tourist attraction, the AquaDom is "the world's largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium," according to the DomAquaree website.

A statement from the hotel group was not immediately available.