The Aquadom was home to 1500 fish. In the 16 meter high acrylic glass cylinder, the sea creatures lived in a real coral reef. But then her world turned upside down. The giant aquarium burst – most of the fish died. But a few creatures were lucky – they were freed from the rubble by an evacuation operation and a height command.
“They found shelter in holes where water had collected,” a firefighter told “Bild”. There were some exotic animals in the aquarium, including the endangered Clownfish, Pallet Surgeonfish, and Longfin Batfish. “A special unit of the high-altitude rescue team is in action, which is now recovering the live fish,” the firefighter continued.
In fact, there were still live fish in the lower part of the aquarium. These were recovered by the special command. Fire spokesman James Klein tells “Bild”: “I think it was about three barrels.” Among them are freshwater and saltwater fish, which are now housed in separate aquariums.
Critical situation for fish in the cellar
As the environmental councilor Almut Neumann announced, there are also some vessels with fish in the cellar. The situation is very critical for them, as the aquariums lost power after the hotel was flooded. The good news: all 400 sea fish from the cellars could be saved.
The tanks were moved from the Radisson Blu Hotel to another nearby Sea Life Aquarium. The fish go to the other aquarium today, so that they no longer experience stress after yesterday, says Klein.
The American company Reynolds Polymer Technology was involved in the construction of the Aquadome. The exact circumstances of the crack through which the vessel burst are still being clarified. The company expressed its condolences to the guests. “We are also deeply saddened by the loss of wildlife and aquatic life. Our thanks go to the staff and first responders who were able to rescue and rebury some of the fish,” the company said. The bursting ship and 1,000 tons of water pouring onto the streets even triggered nearby seismographs. Two people were injured. (jwg)