Hundreds of fish rescued from the massive hotel aquarium explosion at the Radisson Blu hotel have survived and are doing well, the Berlin Zoo has revealed.
More than 1,500 fish were sent into the hotel lobby when the 14 meter high AquaDom burst.
A tsunami of 264,000 gallons of salt water poured through the lobby in the early hours of December 16.
Most of the fish died in the explosion, but about 200 were rescued and taken to the Berlin Zoo.
In the photo: the AquaDom aquarium and the damage after the incident on December 16, 2022 in the hotel atrium
The local government said almost all the fish in it at the time of the break-in died, but “a few fish at the bottom of the tank” were saved
Zoo officials revealed that most of them recovered and only nine of the rescued fish later died.
A spokesman for the Berlin Zoo said on Monday that the surviving fish would continue to be cared for.
However, she said, “It is not certain how long they will stay with us.”
After the aquarium was broken into, around 630 fish were rescued from the underground breeding tanks, the building’s owner said.
Some went to the Berlin Zoo, the rest to other institutions.
The cause of the outage is still being investigated.
Last month, a German expert said the aquarium at the hotel was a “ticking time bomb” and that the accident could have been foreseen.
Hermann Schuranm, former owner of Schuran Seawater Equipment, said he was not surprised that the tank broke.
The expert in building similar structures said it should have been made clear that the aquarium could only last up to a certain point, some of which would only survive 25 years. The structure collapsed after only 19 years.
Mr Schuranm claims he was asked for a bid to build the aquarium but decided against it as it was too big and he could not say for sure how long it would survive.
Mr Shuranm said the blame lay with those who built it, adding that it should have been inspected every two years.
“Otherwise it’s negligence,” he said.
The contract states that regular inspections are required, but does not specify how often they must be performed.
Mr Schuranm added that he was unaware of the process used to strengthen the structure, but noted that improper preparation could lead to cracks in the glass.
He told EuroWeekly: “This AquaDom should have been heated to 80 degrees with an oven after construction and after renovation. It is very expensive, but it is possible.”
Debris lies outside the Radisson Blu hotel where the giant aquarium collapsed in the hotel lobby on December 16, 2022
A man looks through the debris that poured out of the Radisson Blu Hotel after the aquarium burst on December 16, 2022
Debris from the aquarium that exploded on Friday can be seen on the ground in front of the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin
The colossal tank in the lobby of the Radisson Blu Hotel in central Berlin exploded around 05:50 on December 16.
Due to the destruction of the AquaDom aquarium, the power went out in the hotel. Two people were injured by broken glass and treated in hospital.
However, there would have been more casualties if the freak accident had happened an hour later, when the hotel lobby is normally full of visitors.
Police said they found no evidence of foul play, but the cause of the spectacular collapse is unclear.
A spokesperson for the Radisson Hotel Group told MailOnline: “Members of our management team are on the ground working with authorities to investigate the cause of the incident.
“We have immediately closed the hotel until further notice and are in the process of relocating guests.”
Footage from inside the hotel showed extensive damage to the transparent aquarium, with only the frame still standing
The AquaDom aquarium pictured after it erupted on December 16, 2022 in Berlin, Germany
The local government said almost all of the 1,500 fish in it at the time of the break-in died, but “a few fish at the bottom of the tank” were saved
The aquarium opened in December 2003 and was modernized in 2020.
US-based Reynolds Polymer Technology, which says on its website that 41 of its acrylic sheets were used in the construction of the tank cylinder, expressed “its sincere concern” to the affected hotel guests and staff, as well as those who were injured.
They are also “deeply saddened by the lost animals and marine life.”
Freezing temperatures, which dropped to −10 °C (14 °F) overnight, were speculated to have caused a crack in the acrylic glass tank, which then exploded under the weight of the water.
The 25-meter-high tank in the lobby of the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin-Mitte exploded on December 16, 2022 at around 05:50, killing 1,500 tropical fish in the aquarium.
About 400 to 500 mostly small fish from a separate set of aquariums under the hotel lobby were evacuated to other tanks in a neighboring aquarium that were not affected.
Footage from inside the hotel showed extensive damage to the aquarium, with only the frame still standing.
Broken windows and damaged furniture were scattered near the crime scene.
More than 100 rescuers and rescue dogs were deployed to search the building for people who may have been trapped under the rubble, the Berlin fire department said.
Hours after the incident, trucks began to clear debris that had spilled onto the street in front of the hotel.
The cylindrical aquarium is located in the lobby of a Radisson Blu hotel and features a transparent elevator inside that was used by visitors to the Sea Life leisure complex, which also includes a hotel, shops and restaurants.
About 350 people staying at the complex hotel were told to pack up and leave the building
After the tank explosion in the German capital on December 16, 2022, debris lay on the street
Firefighters were deployed outside the Radisson Blu Hotel where a giant aquarium collapsed in the hotel lobby on December 16, 2022
Image: Rescue workers evacuate more fish that were in other aquariums in the hotel
Operators said the aquarium had the largest cylindrical tank in the world and contained 80 different species of tropical fish before the incident.
During the 2020 renovations, all water was drained from the tank and the fish were moved to aquariums in the basement of the building, where there is a shelter for the fish, according to the DomAquarée complex’s website.
As reported by Bild newspaper, the aquarium only reopened this summer after two years of renovation, which cost around 2.6 million euros.
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
