Copenhagen stock exchange fire sees iconic spire collapse in huge inferno

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One of the oldest buildings in Copenhagen had a spire that collapsed due to fire. Denmark compared this incident to Notre Dame's moment.

On Tuesday, a fire broke out and engulfed the roof of the Boersen, which used to be Denmark's financial hub in the 17th century, causing it to collapse.

The structure located adjacent to Christiansborg Palace, where the parliament convenes, is a well-known spot for visitors and sightseers alike. It is recognized for its unique spire which stands at a towering height of 56 meters, resembling the tails of four dragons intermingled together.

The occurrence was related to the fire that took place in the Paris cathedral back in 2019, according to the Danish ministers.

Massive clouds of smoke can be seen above downtown Copenhagen, causing people to hurry into the building to protect valuable paintings. According to Danish media, a parliament annex is being cleared out.

The police and firefighters were outside the building, which was surrounded by scaffolding. Ambulances were also present, but no injuries were reported.

The Danish fire department declared on Tuesday that they managed to rescue one section of the edifice from the flames. Nevertheless, there is a possibility that the impacted area might crumble.

According to a representative who spoke to The Independent, half of the item has been destroyed due to burning. Although, the outer layer has not been completely damaged and at present, we are in the process of extinguishing remaining small fires.

There is a danger that it might come crashing down. The strategy is to secure the exterior structure and partitions with 40 shipping containers. We'll begin executing this tonight and in the upcoming days.

The Minister of Culture in Denmark, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, expressed his emotions by saying it was heartwarming to witness how individuals assisted the emergency services in rescuing invaluable artworks and highly-regarded pictures from the ignited structure.

In the video, the burning pointed top of the building split into two pieces before falling down. One of the fragments violently collided with a firefighting vehicle on the ground.

The Danish Chamber of Commerce is based in a structure that was constructed in the 17th century. The leader of the Chamber, Brian Mikkelsen, was one of the individuals who assisted in moving artwork out of the edifice.

At the moment, there is an atmosphere of grief at the Danish Chamber of Commerce as emotions run high for those who work there. This is not just a place of employment, but also a significant location of deep personal meaning to many. Mikkelsen expressed his astonishment and sadness to the press.

"I'm examining our cultural legacy- the 400 years that have molded Denmark's cultural past and our present society."

Amid the blaring of alarms, a dense and dark cloud of smoke could be seen hovering over the urban area. Roughly 90 recruits from the Royal Life Guards, a branch of the army, were aiding in the process of isolating and protecting valuable assets, as stated by military officials.

The structure was initially constructed to house booths where commodities like tea and spices were bought and sold.

Ulla Kjaer, a senior researcher at the National Museum of Denmark, stated that the reason dragons were placed above the treasure was due to the common belief that they protect gold. The hope was that the treasure would generate considerable wealth for the country.

According to her, the tip of the building had three crowns on it as well, which represented the powerful nations of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Kjaer expressed that the spire is extremely distinctive and unparalleled anywhere else on the globe.

King Frederik shared on Instagram that a crucial element of our architectural legacy is currently ablaze and remains at risk.

For many years, the distinctive dragon tower has been a prominent feature that distinguishes Copenhagen as the 'city of towers'.

The Defence Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, expressed his grief on X/Twitter after witnessing the dreadful images of the Bourse. He shared that the building was very significant to everyone and compared the incident to the unfortunate event that happened to Notre-Dame.

The reason for the fire, which was initially reported at 7:30 in the morning, is unknown at the moment.

According to Jakob Vedsted Andersen, the spokesperson for the firefighters, the process of putting out the fire is quite challenging. He added that there are certain areas of the structure that the firefighters are unable to access as it poses a significant risk.