Almost all of the 200 fish rescued from the mega-aquarium tsunami have recovered, the Berlin Zoo says

Hundreds of fish rescued from the massive hotel aquarium explosion at the Radisson Blu Hotel have survived and are doing well, Berlin Zoo has revealed.

More than 1,500 fish were thrown into the hotel lobby when the 46-foot-tall AquaDom collapsed.

A tsunami of 264,000 gallons of salt water swept through the lobby in the early hours of December 16th.

Most of the fish died in the blast, but about 200 were rescued and taken to Berlin Zoo.

Pictured: The AquaDom aquarium and the damage after the December 16, 2022 incident in the hotel’s atrium

The local government said almost all of the fish in it at the time of the rupture died, but “a few fish at the bottom of the tank” were rescued

Zoo officials have announced that most of them have recovered and only nine of the rescued fish later died.

A Berlin zoo spokeswoman said Monday that the surviving fish will continue to be cared for at the zoo.

However, she said: “It is not certain how long they will stay with us.”

After the aquarium broke, around 630 fish were rescued from the underground breeding tank, the builder said.

Some went to the Berlin Zoo, the rest to other institutions.

The cause of the break is still under investigation.

Last month, a German expert said the aquarium at the hotel was a “ticking time bomb” and the accident should have been predicted.

Hermann Schuranm, former owner of Schuran Seawater Equipment, said he was not surprised that the tank was destroyed on March 16.

The expert in building similar structures said it should have been made clear that the aquarium would only last up to a certain point, with some surviving as little as 25 years. The structure burst 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 couldn’t 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 there is negligence,” he said.

The contract states that regular inspections are required, but does not say how frequent they should be.

Mr Schuranm added that he was unaware of the process used to strengthen the structure, but noted that it could have cracked the glass if it hadn’t been prepared in the right way.

He told EuroWeekly: “This AquaDom should have been heated to 80 degrees with an oven after construction and after renovation. It’s very expensive, but it’s possible.”

Debris lies outside the Radisson Blu hotel where the huge aquarium in the hotel lobby burst on December 16, 2022

A man looks through the debris that fell from the Radisson Blu Hotel on December 16, 2022 after the aquarium burst

Debris from the aquarium that exploded on Friday can be seen on the ground in front of the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin

The 25 meter high tank in the foyer of the Radisson Blu Hotel in central Berlin exploded at around 5.50am on December 16.

The destruction of the AquaDom aquarium caused a million liters of water to flow through the reception area, cutting off electricity in the hotel. Two people were injured by broken glass and treated in hospital.

However, the toll could have been far more deadly had the freak accident happened an hour later, when the hotel lobby is normally packed with visitors.

Police said they found no evidence a malicious act took place, but the cause of the spectacular collapse was unclear.

A spokesman for Radisson Hotel Group told MailOnline: “Members of our management team are on the ground and are investigating the cause of the incident together with authorities.

“We have closed the hotel effective immediately until further notice and are moving 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 burst 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 rupture died, but “a few fish at the bottom of the tank” were saved

About 400 to 500 mostly small fish from a separate set of aquariums housed under the hotel lobby were evacuated to a neighboring aquarium that was unaffected.

The aquarium opened in December 2003 and was modernized in 2020.

US-based Reynolds Polymer Technology, which states on its website that 41 of its acrylic sheets were used in the construction of the tank cylinder, said it had “its sincere concern to hotel guests and workers who were affected and to those who were.” ‘ expressing hurt.

They are also “deeply saddened by the loss of wildlife and aquatic life.”

It was speculated that the drop in sub-zero temperatures to -10 °C (14 °F) overnight caused the acrylic glass tank to rupture, which then exploded under the weight of the water.

The 25 meter high tank in the foyer of the Radisson Blu Hotel in central Berlin exploded at around 5.50am on December 16, 2022, killing 1,500 tropical fish housed in the aquarium

About 400 to 500 mostly small fish from a separate set of aquariums housed under the hotel lobby were evacuated to other tanks in a neighboring aquarium that was unaffected

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.

The Berlin fire brigade announced that more than 100 emergency services and rescue dogs were on duty to search the building for people who might have been trapped under the rubble.

Hours after the incident, trucks began clearing away the debris that had been dumped on the street in front of the hotel.

Located in the foyer of a Radisson Blu hotel, the cylindrical aquarium features a clear-walled elevator that was used by visitors to the Sea Life leisure complex, which also includes a hotel, shops and restaurants.

Around 350 people who had stayed at the complex’s 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 in the hotel lobby exploded on December 16, 2022

Pictured: Rescuers evacuate more fish that were in other aquariums in the hotel

Operators said the aquarium has the largest cylindrical tank in the world and contained 80 different species of tropical fish before the incident.

During the 2020 renovations, all the water was drained from the tank and the fish moved to aquariums in the basement of the building, which the DomAquarée complex’s website says is a breeding station for the fish.

The Bild newspaper said the aquarium only reopened this summer after a two-year refurbishment which cost around €2.6million (£2.2million).