Summary of the morning
A huge fire broke out at Copenhagen’s 17th-century former stock exchange, one of the Danish capital’s most famous landmarks, engulfing the historic building’s roof and toppling its distinctive spire.
Eyewitnesses described shock and sadness in the city, with smoke visible from afar.
Denmark’s deputy prime minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, described the event as “our own Notre-Dame moment.”
Firefighters and volunteers managed to rescue a large part of the stock exchange’s collection of artworks, but some artefacts will likely have been damaged by the flames.
“My feeling is that we have saved a lot”, said Jakob Vedsted, director of Copenhagen fire and rescue services. “But there is a large Christian IV sculpture that weighs several tons, we haven’t been able to get it out”.
Some 120 people were working to contain the fire.
Firefighting efforts are still continuing, with officials expecting the fire to be under control within the next hours.
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Updated
Firefighting operation to continue
Emergency services are still battling flames in part of the old stock exchange building in Copenhagen.
Copenhagen fire department chief Jakob Vedsted Andersen told reporters that parts of the roof had collapsed and the fire spread to several floors, Reuters reported.
Some 120 people were working to contain the fire but only around 40% of it was under control, Vedsted said.
He also said that the firefighting operation would go on for at least 24 hours.
Updated
