One day after the gigantic Aquadom aquarium in Berlin burst, the task of cleaning up the scene of the accident and the search for answers continues. Yesterday, the aquarium with around 1,500 fish, which was located in a hotel near the cathedral, burst. Material fatigue is suspected. A million liters of water poured out of the destroyed 16 meter high glass cylinder into the hotel and onto the street, the scenery resembled a field of rubble.
Because numerous hotel guests were not out on the ground floor so early in the morning, only two people were slightly injured. The police and many guests spoke of a very loud bang. Parts of the hotel’s facade flew onto the street, large amounts of water poured out. The police and fire brigade were deployed with around 100 people each. The pumping work of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief should last until Saturday night.
The Berlin fire brigade found a few dozen fish alive in the lower area of the burst vessel. Special forces would have recovered them, said fire department spokesman James Klein. They should be placed in other aquariums.
Water in neighboring buildings
A lot of water ran into the sewage system, but also into the basement and neighboring facilities – such as the DDR Museum. According to the operators, the Aquadom was the “largest, cylindrical, free-standing aquarium in the world”, a well-known attraction in Berlin. It was an acrylic glass container that was 11.5 meters in diameter. The slices are said to have been 20 centimeters thick. Berlin’s Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) said yesterday: “Of course, the investigation into the cause has not yet been completed, but the first signs point to material fatigue.”
Fish of over 100 different species swam in the 1000 cubic meters of salt water. That corresponded to a weight of about 1000 tons. According to the information, the aquarium was extensively modernized by summer 2020 and then only reopened in 2022 due to the corona pandemic. The construction is said to have cost almost 13 million euros almost 20 years ago according to communications and reports at the time.
Reason still “completely unclear”
The company that owns the Aquadom was “dismayed by the accident”. The reason for the bursting of the huge cylinder is still “completely unclear,” said a spokesman for Union Investment. “We are currently trying to get a more accurate picture of the situation and the damage caused in coordination with the police and fire brigade on site.”
There was criticism from the animal welfare organization PETA. “We will file a criminal complaint against those responsible because the lives of around 1,500 fish were apparently handled negligently,” said a spokesman for the organization yesterday. The destruction of the aquarium is a “huge, man-made tragedy”. It should not be rebuilt.
