As people scrambled to assist emergency services in saving precious paintings and other valuables, a fire that was raging through one of Copenhagen’s oldest buildings on Tuesday caused the iconic spire from the 17th-century Old Stock Market to collapse.
Jakob Engel-Schmidt, the minister of culture for Denmark, called the number of people who came forward “to preserve art treasures and famous images from the burning building” “touching.” To aid in the endeavor, one man leaped off his bicycle on the way to work.
Chief Brian Mikkelsen of the Danish Chamber of Commerce, which has its headquarters in the Old Stock Exchange, was observed leafing through a binder containing pictures of paintings that needed to be preserved along with members of his staff. They were taken to the Danish National Archives and the neighboring parliament around the corner from the burning building.
“We have been able to rescue a lot,” a visibly moved Mikkelsen told reporters. “It is a national disaster.”
He added that they had to use equipment like a crowbar to extract paintings and other items that were being saved from the flames.
According to firefighters spokesman Jakob Vedsted Andersen, the fire started in the copper roof of the Old Stock Market, or Boersen, on Tuesday morning, spread to a large portion of the building and the roof, which also fell, and devastated the inside of the structure.
Vedsted Andersen stated, “The fire is still not under control,” and mentioned that half of the structure had collapsed and been destroyed. There was no chance, he claimed, that the fire would spread to neighboring structures. According to firefighters, they plan to stay at the location for the ensuing day.
According to Copenhagen police officer Tommy Laursen, it was too early to say what caused the fire and that they would be able to enter the building in “a few days.”
Firefighters who reportedly pumped water from the nearby canal were seen spraying water through the doorway of the Old Stock Exchange’s gilded hall, which is used for gala dinners, conferences, parties, and other events and where many of the paintings hang.
A fire has destroyed the Boersen building in Copenhagen, Denmark, which is a popular tourist attraction and has been photographed millions of times. The building, which has a distinctive spire of four dragon tails, reached a height of 56 meters. The fire caused smoke to rise over downtown Copenhagen, and people were seen rushing inside to save paintings. Ambulances were at the scene, but no reports of casualties were reported.
Carpenters working on the roof had all come out. Up to 90 members of an army unit were deployed from a nearby base to cordon off the area and secure valuables.
The building and spire were encased in scaffolding, which later collapsed in the fire. The adjacent Christiansborg Palace has burned down on several occasions, and the Old Stock Exchange survived unscathed. Police have closed main roads in Copenhagen and reported traffic jams in the surrounding area. Queen Margrethe, who turned 84, toned down celebrations due to the fire.
(AP)
