10 Jul 2019
Oceanografic aquarium avoids major damage after fire
BY Andy Knaggs
Europe's largest aquarium, the Oceanografic aquarium in Valencia, Spain, has reopened today following a fire that broke out yesterday (9 July) near to the entrance.
The fire was brought under control in around 20 minutes, but pictures show a dense column of black smoke rising from the flames, and the entire site was evacuated ‒ around 1,400 people ‒ as a precaution, with the attraction being closed for the rest of the day.
A tweet from the aquarium yesterday said that the fire started near the entrance to the Oceans tower, which houses sharks and other ocean-going species. An artificial polyurethane stone on the site was burned.
Further tweets today have stressed that all is back to normal today and there has been no harm to humans or animals.
The Oceanografic aquarium opened in 2003 and houses around 40,000 animals belonging to more than 500 species. It covers an area of 110,000sq m (360,000sq ft).
Close Window