[HamiltonJay]

I highly doubt the thing was made of glass. Almost certainly some sort of acrylic

[fidelis]

I highly doubt the thing was made of glass. Almost certainly some sort of acrylic

Almost certainly. But it may have also had some glass components and I'd wager some of the surrounding building glass windows and balconies got blown out as a result of the sudden release.

[Ex gun maker.]

Acrylic ages much more quickly than glass.
Exposure to sunlight accelerates aging.
How long had this been in place?

[Blood of Tyrants]

I would think so, too. I can’t imagine the furnace to heat a +50 foot high tank made of glass. Acrylic is a two part polymer that is simply poured.

[Robert DeLong]

It certainly looked like acrylic to me. Glass usually does not have big pieces intact after giving way and falling to the ground.

I wonder if the tank was new or had been there for awhile? Article didn't say, or I missed it.

[OldWarBaby]

Still no doubt some of that renouned Cherman engineering? If you lose a war bad enough you ought to be kind of humble for awhile?

[sasquatch]

You’re 100% correct.