Copenhagen. The main façade of the former Copenhagen Stock Exchange, devastated by a fire on Tuesday, collapsed on Thursday afternoon as Danish emergency services feared.
“Unfortunately the façade in front of the Frederiksholms Canal collapsed,” the services wrote in X, stating that no injuries were reported and that the area was evacuated.
The structure collapsed into the building with a loud bang, according to images from Danish media.
Supports had been placed along this façade to limit the risk of collapse.
“There is a risk of further collapses,” said Tim Ole Simonsen, intervention director for the Danish rescue services.
The extreme heat and the collapse of other supports weakened the walls, he told reporters.
Work will resume inside the evacuated area but it will be necessary to review the calendar and organization of the intervention, he added.
“We very much hoped to be able to save the facades of this old building, but unfortunately we did not have time to install the anchors,” explained another rescue service official, Jakob Vedsted Andersen.
One of the oldest buildings in the city
Emergency services announced early in the afternoon that crane operations would begin at noon on Friday to evacuate the parts of the roof that had collapsed.
However, firefighters were still working Thursday to extinguish fire spots that resurfaced more than 48 hours after the flames started.
“The work continued (…) we put out some small fires, mainly in the basement,” they indicated in the middle of the day.
Half of the 17th-century building was burned and the 54-metre-high spire collapsed on Tuesday morning.
The reasons for the fire are unknown at this time, and police investigators have not yet been able to access the site.
“It may take several months before we get answers” about the causes of the fire, Danish police said Wednesday.
The old Stock Exchange, built in the 17th century and celebrating its 400th anniversary this year, also houses a vast collection of works of art, several hundred of which are insured.
The arrow was particularly original because it was surrounded by four dragons whose tails curved in a spiral. The structure was topped with three balls and three crowns that symbolize the three Nordic monarchies (Denmark, Norway and Sweden).
The Copenhagen Stock Exchange was built on behalf of King Christian IV between 1619 and 1640, making it one of the oldest buildings in the city.
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– 2024-04-25 20:56:44
