ReutersLarge fire in old stock exchange building in Copenhagen
NOS News•today, 09:12•Changed today, 11:05
The Copenhagen fire brigade is struggling to bring the fire in the former stock exchange building in the city center under control. The fire has spread to the exhibition hall, where concerts are held, among other things. As far as we know, no injuries have been reported, Reuters news agency reports.
The report of the fire in the Danish capital came just after 7:30 am. Initially it only concerned a fire in the middle of the four-century-old building, where the Chamber of Commerce is now located. It now appears that other parts of the building are also on fire. Part of the roof has also collapsed and the facades are about to collapse.
“It appears that the fire has spread to the larger exhibition hall,” an emergency services spokesperson told the Danish news website The politics. In addition to concerts, the exhibition hall is also used for conferences.
Surrounding buildings have been evacuated. Local residents in the center are advised to keep windows and doors closed. A reporter from news channel Tv2 says that the fire keeps flaring up and that a lot of smoke is being released.
Severe damage
The fire brigade expects to spend all day trying to contain the fire, Danish media report. The building consists largely of wood and therefore it is difficult to control the fire. The cause is not yet known.
The historic tower with four dragons on it also caught fire and fell:
Fire in Copenhagen stock exchange building
The Børsen Building was built in 1619 and is a popular attraction in the Danish capital. The building contains valuable paintings, among other things.
Efforts are being made to save as much as possible, a number of paintings have been removed from the building, as can be seen in these images.
Employees rescue art from burning stock exchange building in Copenhagen
The Danish Minister of Culture calls the fire terrible on X. “400 years of Danish cultural heritage goes up in flames,” he writes. The Minister of Defense has also responded. He speaks on social media of “our Notre Dame moment”, referring to the great fire in Paris of 2019.
A resident of central Copenhagen says: “It was so beautiful with all its details and now only stones are left.”
Danish King Frederik has also responded and speaks of a “historic building as a beautiful symbol of the capital, a building that we were proud of”. Today would be the birthday of Queen Margrethe (84), mother of Frederik. Due to the fire, those festivities were canceled.