COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Fire fighters worked through a second night to quell remaining flames that destroyed Denmark’s Old Stock Exchange and will stay on site for at least another 24 hours, Copenhagen’s fire department said early on Thursday morning.
The blaze ripped through the 400-year-old landmark on Tuesday, toppling its spire and also triggering the collapse of a large roof section, in scenes reminiscent of the 2019 fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
The flames that flared overnight were primarily in the basement of the building, and were quickly put out, rescue officials said.
In parts of the building only outer brick walls remained as everything else had burned, while some of the sections still standing had floors that were waterlogged from efforts to put out the fire, reporters allowed inside on Wednesday said.
“The work to stabilise the freestanding outer walls will continue for most of the day,” the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department said on social media X.
Large containers filled with bricks were being stacked to support the damaged walls and prevent the historic brickwork from collapsing.
The Danish Chamber of Commerce, which owns the building and uses it for its headquarters, has vowed to rebuild the iconic exchange which originally opened as a commodities trading venue in the 17th century.
The building no longer houses the stock exchange.
Police investigating the incident said it could take months to determine the cause. No one was hurt in the blaze.
(Reporting by Copenhagen newsroom, Editing by Terje Solsvik and Michael Perry)
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