Fire destroys historic building of the former Danish stock exchange; see photos

A huge fire engulfed Copenhagen's old stock exchange, one of the Danish capital's most famous landmarks, causing its tower to collapse as officials and citizens tried to rescue paintings and historical artifacts from the blaze.

Stunned and curious passengers watched as the fire could be seen destroying the building's 56-metre tower – shaped like the tails of four intertwined dragons – moments before it collapsed and fell to the street below.

Some pedestrians even joined emergency services in running inside the burning building and helping carry large Renaissance paintings and other objects away from the blaze.

Denmark's Deputy Prime Minister Troels Lund Poulsen called the fire “our own Notre Dame moment,” referring to the fire that destroyed the roof and spire of the Paris cathedral five years ago.

The fire started at around 8:30 am local time on Tuesday (16), a chief from the Copenhagen fire department told CNN . Shortly before 11 a.m., he said nearly half the building had been destroyed by fire.

“We tried to rescue many historical paintings that were inside the building and historical furniture,” he told CNN Jakob Vedsted Andersen, Executive Director of Greater Copenhagen Fire and Rescue Service. He said it was “too early” to speculate on the cause of the fire.

Source: CNN Brasil

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