AquaDom & Sea Life Berlin Berlin AquaDom destroyed

TeaLovingDave

TeaLovingDave

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Although reports are still coming in, and the precise cause has yet to be determined, it seems that the world-famous AquaDom at SEALIFE Berlin (a 16 metre high and 11 metre diameter tank located within the lobby of a luxury hotel) has exploded, with debris, thousands of fish and a million litres of water flowing (and freezing) onto the surrounding streets.

Groß-Aquarium in Berlin-Mitte geplatzt - zwei Verletzte
 
Well, you were half a minute faster than me.

Anyway, those are some terrible news for one of the most famous fish tanks in the world.
 
Absolutely shocking, I'm very curious to know how this was caused? I guess we wait for an investigation...
 
I'm glad that it happened in the morning though. An aquarium burst THAT big could've EASILY cause a lot of casualties had that happened during the times people were busy. It looks like a Tsunami happening indoors, and with a lot of water bursting like that, you'd be lucky if the pressure or the debris didnt kill you.

But still, what a horrific tragedy. Over 1500 fishes were lost overnight and the cost of fixing that aquarium is certainly anywhere but cheap.
 
Emanuel Theodorus said:
But still, what a horrific tragedy. Over 1500 fishes were lost overnight and the cost of fixing that aquarium is certainly anywhere but cheap.
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Do we know if it will even be rebuilt? Looking at the costs they might decide to just completely get rid of what is left and not have a new aquarium.
 
Mayki said:
Do we know if it will even be rebuilt? Looking at the costs they might decide to just completely get rid of what is left and not have a new aquarium.
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Definitely would be YEARS before we even saw half of the aquarium even be restored... But I could see the aquarium be rebuilt. That aquarium is just way too iconic for the hotel to be completely scrapped. But who knows, no one ever expected this tragedy to happen in such a sudden and shocking manner and to think about all of the lost fishes as well as the loss of that aquarium really hurts.
 
Tragic and shocking.

The AquaDom cost approximately 13 million Euros when it opened in 2004, and a rebuild of the tank would likely cost far more now. It's crazy to think that it just reopened last year after a renovation was completed. If any nation can rebuild and rejuvenate a facility, then it is zoo-mad Germany.
 
Wow. These are some awful images coming out of Berlin. What a horrible loss for everyone involved. Maybe I'm being naively hopeful asking this, but is it known if any of the tanks residents have been saved? Even if they were the surviving inhabitants may still die of shock from being exposed to freezing temperatures. Just terrible!
 
pachyderm pro said:
Maybe I'm being naively hopeful asking this, but is it known if any of the tanks residents have been saved?
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Given the photographs showing the complete level of destruction within the hotel lobby, the sub-zero temperatures and the time of day it occurred, the inhabitants can be entirely written off sad to say!
 
Batto said:
Poor fish and other tank inmates
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What were the highlight species that were in that aquarium? All of the news reports just say generically that it was 1500 fish that died. I can't really tell what was in there from Google image searches because the images mainly focus on the spectacular structure of the aquarium itself and not the animals in it.
 
Very sad news. I wonder if this will lead to any changes in the security and engineering of aquariums, to avoid similar tragedies from happening in the future.
 
According to an interview with emergency personnel, at least 30 fishes was successfully saved (no idea about the condition of the fishes though). They were put into buckets and were transported to Berlin zoo (and eventually to Sea Life as well, some sources states). There is also photos of some of the buckets with fishes on news site and social media.

I also read something about that the tank have/had a smaller lower area as well, which did not break - and apparently some fishes survived there as well. I have never visited the AquaDom tough, so I don't know anything about this "lower level" or if that exists.

Sea Life Berlin also came out with a statement now on their website, basically saying that the AquaDom is not theirs, and that it was just an attraction included in their tickets, but owned by another company.

fische-berlin-aquadom-aquariuim.jpg


aquadom-aquarium-gerettete-fische.jpg
 
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Of course it’s not going to be rebuilt. It just suffered a catastrophic failure that could easily have killed people, and the cause is probably unlikely to be traceable (since whatever fault existed in the structure is now lost in the wreckage). Even if the owners wanted to try it, the structure is uninsurable.
 
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