A gigantic aquarium containing a million liters of water in the reception of a hotel in central Berlin exploded this Friday, flooding the building and neighboring streets.

The so-called “AquaDom” – which housed about 1,500 fish – was almost 14 meters high and was described as one of the largest cylindrical aquariums in the world.

Two people were injured by glass and authorities reported that “significant and incredible damage” had occurred.

Images shared by some guests show enormous damage inside the hotel reception.

Also extensive damage to the aquarium, with the tank apparently empty and water leaking out of the pipes into the lobby.

And dozens of passersby were also able to see the remains of the aquarium that reached the street where the Radisson Blu hotel is located, in the Alexanderplatz sector, in the center of the city.

The building was closed due to the flood and most of the guests were moved to other places.

It is unknown what caused the explosion

Firefighters who responded to the emergency said they could not determine what had caused the aquarium to rupture, although a police source told local media that there is no evidence that the rupture was the result of a premeditated attack.

Authorities also reported that they had used rescue dogs to check the area inside the hotel for potentially injured people, without finding anyone.

And they noted that the emergency had produced “massive amounts” of water flowing onto nearby streets and that people in the area should drive with caution.

The AquaDom opened in December 2003 and held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium. It contained over 100 different species of fish.

It had become an attraction not only for the hotel – which sold rooms overlooking the “AquaDom” – but also for Berlin. It underwent a renovation two years ago.

On its website Friday, the hotel said the attraction was temporarily closed and asked visitors to reschedule their tickets.

According to reports at the time of its construction it cost around US$12.8 million.

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