AquaDom, the world's largest aquarium in Berlin, Germany, exploded and destroyed on Friday (16/12) local time. Police are still investigating the cause.
Berlin police said they were not looking for any suspects in this incident. The police also warned the public not to believe in circulating hoaxes that spread tweets claiming to be the suspect behind the AquaDom explosion.
This incident was indeed shocking. The explosion at the aquarium, which is located at the Radisson Blu Hotel, spilled one million liters of salt water, flooding the hotel and surrounding streets. About 1,500 fish and water creatures that inhabited the giant aquarium also spilled and died.
Two people were injured by broken glass. Officials and local media said the AquaDom outbreak would likely result in fatalities if it happened days later.
The Technisches Hilfswerk (THW) rescue team needed 12 hours to rescue. The impact of this incident also ravaged the lobby and atrium of the hotel as if it had been a war.
Berlin police inspectors confirmed there was no evidence that the explosion at the 25-meter aquarium was the result of a targeted attack. Currently the area is declared safe.
Cause of explosion
Quoted from the BBC, an investigation into the exact cause of the AquaDom explosion is ongoing. However, speculation has suggested that freezing temperatures, which fell to -6 degrees Celsius the night before the incident, may have caused the cracks in the tank.
Berlin Interior Senator Iris Spranger said the first signs indicated the cause was "material exhaustion".
Meanwhile, US company Reynolds Polymer Technology, which was involved in building the tank, said it was sending a team to investigate. According to them, it is too early to be able to determine the cause.
AquaDom opened in December 2003 and was lined up as a world record by the Guinness World Records for the largest cylindrical aquarium in the world. According to reports, at the time of its construction, the construction cost was 12.8 million euros. This iconic building was last renovated in 2020.