COPENHAGEN: A massive fire ripped through the old stock exchange of Denmark on Tuesday morning, with plumes of smoke billowing through the historic building of the Scandinavian country, reported CNN. The Borsen building, has notably been at the heart of Danish business since the 17th century.
Moments before the building collapsed and crashed on to the street below, stunned commuters and bystanders watched as the raging fire was spotted swirling around the building’s iconic 56-meter spire, according to CNN. There have been no casualties recorded as of yet, and Copenhagen police have advised people to stay away from the area.
Denmark’s historical Børsen stock exchange building in Copenhagen is on fire amid renovations. The blaze comes just a day after the fifth anniversary of the fire that burned down the Notre Dame in Paris. pic.twitter.com/7cyMjL1pdT
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) April 16, 2024
According to a police spokesperson, people were inside the building when the fire broke out, but they were all evacuated in time.
Situated within a short stroll from Christiansborg Palace, the old stock exchange was established in 1625. It was constructed in the Dutch Renaissance style, at the request of King Christian IV.
Following the horrific fire incident, Denmark’s minister of culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt claimed that 400 years of cultural legacy has been damaged.
“How touching it is to see how the employees at Borsen, good people from the emergency services and passers-by work together to rescue art treasures and iconic images from the burning building,” he wrote in a post on X.
While emergency personnel attempted to contain the fire, the elevator shaft allowed it to spread to every storey of the building, reported CNN. Further details are awaited. (ANI)