A
giant aquarium containing a million litres of water in the lobby of the
Radisson Blu in Berlin has burst, flooding the hotel and nearby
streets.
The
"AquaDom" - home to 1,500 tropical fish - is 14m high (46 ft) and was
described as the largest free-standing cylindrical aquarium in the
world.
Two people were injured by glass.
Police
said there had been "incredible" damage. Video showed an empty tank,
water pouring into the lobby and debris strewn everywhere.
Guests have been moved out of the hotel following the incident at 05:50 (04:50 GMT).
A
spokesman for Berlin's fire brigade told the BBC the vast majority of
the fish had died, and the cold weather had made rescue attempts more
difficult. The tank had contained more than 100 different species.
Outside
the Radisson Blu, a pile of debris lay in front of what were the front
doors, which now hang into the street - twisted at an angle by the force
of the exploding tank
Paul Maletzki was staying on the fourth floor with his girlfriend.
He
described being woken up by a loud bang and shaking. When he looked
down into the lobby, he saw water flowing across it. They and other
guests were later escorted out of the hotel by armed police.
The Mayor of Berlin Franziska Giffey went to the hotel to see the damage and described the tank burst as being like a tsunami.
She
expressed relief it had happened so early in the morning - saying an
hour or so later, and the lobby and street outside would have been busy
with visitors, many of them children.
Sandra
Weeser, a member of the German federal parliament who had been staying
at the hotel, told local television the scene outside the hotel was a
"picture of devastation".
She said fish which may have been saved had frozen to death.
The
aquarium was modernised two years ago, and there is a clear-walled lift
built inside for use by visitors. Some of the rooms in the hotel are
advertised as having views of it.
Berlin's fire brigade said more than 100 firefighters were sent to the scene and it was not clear what caused the break.
It said it used rescue dogs to check the area inside the hotel for anyone potentially injured, with nobody found.
Police said "massive amounts" of water was flowing into nearby streets and people in the area should drive cautiously.
A police source told local media there is no evidence the break was the result of a targeted attack.
Berlin's
public transport authority said Karl-Liebknecht street outside the
hotel had been closed off due to "an extreme amount of water on the
road". Trams service in the area was also stopped.
AquaDom was opened in December 2003 and was given the Guinness World Record for being the world's largest cylindrical aquarium.
According to reports at the time of its construction, it cost about €12.8m (£11.2m) to build.
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