A day after a large aquarium burst, there was not much to see of the great chaos in front of the stricken Berlin hotel. Workers in protective suits loaded debris into construction containers and removed tubs and nets on Saturday. There was a large white fence in front of the building. But behind the walls, the chaos after Friday’s accident should still be clearly visible.
In the early hours of the morning, the 16-meter high Aquadom aquarium with 1,500 fish erupted in the hotel. A loud bang – then, among other things, a million liters of water poured out of the smashed glass cylinder into the hotel and onto the street. Two people, according to the hotel an employee and a guest, were slightly injured. At least six shops in the building complex were damaged.
For many people, it was a Friday morning near miss — had the aquarium burst into a busy hotel at a later date, security forces and politicians think things could have turned out worse. But it was also devastating for the animals: almost all the fish in the aquarium are dead.
Video: Some fish saved, many unanswered questions
According to the fire service, some water has collected in the ring, which was actually intended to stabilize the aquarium. Three large barrels full of live fish have been rescued from this area. Live fish were also repeatedly found under rubble in Lacken on Friday. They were housed in the adjacent Sealife Aquarium and Berlin Zoo. About 630 fish were also rescued from the underground breeding tanks, according to the owner of the building. These fish were not in the bursting Aquadom aquarium, but in other tanks.
Building not in danger of collapse
However, the search for the cause continued. According to the police, there were no indications of a targeted, violent attack. “At this time, there is no indication that there is anything criminally relevant in the room,” a police spokeswoman said Saturday. The building was handed over to the owner on Friday evening. “It does not threaten to collapse,” says a spokesman for the building owner. Structural studies are still taking place.
US team wants to send team to investigate
The American company Reynolds Polymer Technology, which was involved in the construction of the burst aquarium, also wants to send a team to Berlin to investigate the incident. The company says it manufactured and installed a “cylinder” component of the tank in 2002.
The hotel guests were taken to another hotel on Friday. “It is understandable that there is no timetable for the reopening of the hotel yet,” said the owner. The priority is to record the extent of the damage and to guarantee safety during the clean-up work. The fate of the Aquadom is also unclear.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
