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Berlin aquarium bursts: Official reveals 'first indications' of what caused massive rupture

A German official cited "material fatigue" as a possible cause of a 46-foot aquarium in Berlin rupturing, as a U.S. company that helped build it dispatches a team.

An official in Germany is speculating that the rupture of a 46-foot aquarium in Berlin is the result of "material fatigue."

A massive aquarium in a downtown Berlin hotel burst Friday, releasing 264,000 gallons of water and 1,500 fish and injuring two people. 

MASSIVE BERLIN AQUARIUM WITH 1,500 FISH BURSTS, INJURING 2 AND FLOODING HOTEL WITH 260K GALLONS OF WATER

Top Berlin security official Iris Spranger told the German press that authorities are saying "first indications point to material fatigue." 

However, no official cause has yet been determined. 

Reynolds Polymer Technology, a U.S. company that helped build the massive tank of water, has sent an envoy to Germany for an investigation of the incident.

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The spill in the lobby of the Radisson Blu caused a wave of debris to sweep the hotel shortly before 6 a.m. local time, and rescue dogs are combing the area to make sure no one was caught under the wreckage. 

The tank was the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium and was dubbed the "AquaDom," which held 80 different types of tropical fish, including blue tang and clownfish — most of which are believed to have perished in the accident.

Some 300 guests staying at the Radisson Blu were forced to evacuate Friday morning. 

The tank, which had become a tourist attraction with a 10-minute elevator ride through it, was first built in 2003 and modernized in 2020.

Fox News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.

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