Huge aquarium in Berlin collapses with 1,500 fish inside
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Debris lies around in front of the Radisson Blu hotel, where a huge aquarium burst on Dec. 16, 2022 in Berlin,. Photo: Cuneyt Karadag/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
A massive aquarium in a Berlin hotel burst open Friday, spilling hundreds of tropical fish onto the cold city streets and injuring at least two people, the city's mayor said.
Why it matters: Hotel guests were asked to leave the hotel and stand outside in freezing temperatures amid dead fish.
Driving the news: The 50-foot-high aquarium at the Radisson Blu in Berlin collapsed on Friday morning, per the New York Times.
- About 100 firefighters responded to the incident at the AquaDom, NYT reports. Guests were evacuated from the inside and officials inspected the building for structural damage.
- Two people were taken to the hospital to treat wounds suffered from shards of glass, per NYT.
- 1,500 fish were spewed onto the streets.
It's unclear what caused the incident. But, according to the Associated Press, early speculation suggested the city's freezing temperatures caused a crack in the glass tank, which then exploded.
What they're saying: Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said the spill released a "veritable tsunami" of water, but there weren't many injuries since it happened in the early morning, AP reports.
- "Despite the immense destruction with around a million liters of water leaking out, it was a blessing in disguise," Giffey tweeted Friday. "No people were seriously injured."
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