Copenhagen fire: the spire of a historic stock exchange collapses into an inferno

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A spire on one of Copenhagen's oldest buildings has collapsed in flames in what Denmark has described as its Notre Dame moment.

The roof of the 17th-century Stock Exchange, or Boersen, which was once the country's financial center, was engulfed in flames before collapsing on Tuesday.

The building, located next to Christiansborg Palace where parliament sits, is a popular tourist attraction with its distinctive spire, shaped like the tails of four intertwined dragons, reaching a height of 56 meters.

Danish ministers compared the incident to the 2019 fire that ravaged the Paris cathedral.

Huge clouds of smoke rose above downtown Copenhagen and people rushed inside the building to save the paintings. Danish media reported that a parliament annex was being evacuated.

Police and firefighters were working outside the building, which was surrounded by scaffolding. Ambulances were on scene but no casualties were reported.

Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said it was touching to see how passers-by helped emergency services save artistic treasures and iconic images from the burning building.

Video showed the flaming arrow breaking in two as it fell, sending much of it crashing to the ground next to a fire truck.

The Danish Chamber of Commerce is headquartered in the building constructed in the early 1600s. The firm's director, Brian Mikkelsen, was among those who helped transport the paintings out of the building.

Everyone at the Danish Chamber of Commerce is crying right now. It's their workplace, but also their history, Mikkelsen told reporters, shaking his head in disbelief.

It is our cultural heritage that I look at. These are 400 years that have shaped Danish cultural history and the society we live in today.

As sirens wailed, thick gray smoke rose above the city. About 90 conscripts from the Royal Life Guards, an army unit, were helping to cordon off and secure the valuables, the army said.

The building was originally built to house stalls where goods such as tea and spices were traded.

It was imagined that a lot of gold would be generated for Denmark and that's why they placed dragons on top because they are known to guard gold, said Ulla Kjaer, a senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark.

The spire also had three crowns on top, symbolizing the great kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, she added.

This spire is absolutely iconic and there is no other in the world, Kjaer said.

An important part of our architectural heritage was and still is in flames, King Frederik wrote in a message on Instagram.

For generations, the distinctive dragon spire has helped make Copenhagen the city of towers.

Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen wrote on X/Twitter: Horrible images from the stock market. So sad. An iconic building that means a lot to us all… Our own Notre-Dame moment.

The cause of the fire first reported at 7:30 a.m. was not immediately known.

The extinguishing work is very difficult, said fire brigade spokesman Jakob Vedsted Andersen, adding that there are parts of the building that firefighters cannot enter because they are too dangerous.

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