World's largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium bursts in Berlin

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. An aquarium in Berlin that was home to around 1,500 exotic fish burst early on Friday, spilling 1 million litres (264,172 gallons) of water and debris onto a major road in the busy Mitte district, Reuters reported citing emergency services.

Around 100 emergency responders rushed to the site, a leisure complex that also houses a Radisson hotel and a museum as well as the aquarium.

Sea Life Berlin offered glass elevator rides through the Aquadom aquarium, which it says was the world's largest freestanding cylindrical aquarium at 14 metres (46 ft) in height.

Two people were injured by splinters of glass, and police evacuated the hotel in the complex on concern that there could be structural damage.

A spokesperson for the fire brigade told Reuters it was still unclear what had caused the AquaDom aquarium to burst.

Neither the fire brigade nor the police commented on the fate of the fish, though police said on Twitter there had been "unbelievable maritime damage".