A fire has engulfed Denmark’s historic old stock exchange building in central Copenhagen.
The 17th-century Borsen is one of the city’s oldest buildings and onlookers gasped when its iconic spire collapsed in flames.
Everyone inside the building was able to escape, and people rushed to rescue some of the historic paintings.
Culture Minister Jakob Engelschmidt said Denmark’s 400 years of cultural heritage had gone up in flames.
The building dates back to 1625 and is just a stone’s throw from the Danish Parliament Folketing and the Royal Palace Christiansborg. Danish media reported that a nearby square was being evacuated.
The old stock exchange was being renovated and covered with scaffolding and plastic protective coverings. The building, which now houses the Danish Chamber of Commerce and Industry, described the scene Tuesday morning as a frightening one.
Henrik Grege, a local craftsman, told Danish television that it was a tragic day. “This is our Notre-Dame cathedral,” he said, comparing the fire to the 2019 fire that destroyed the roof and spire of the cathedral in central Paris.
Passing by residents and Chamber of Commerce Director Brian Mikkelsen joined emergency services to rescue the artwork from the Bolsen River.
The Dutch Renaissance buildings on the city’s Slotsholmen, or Palace Island, were commissioned by King Christian IV of Denmark with the aim of turning Copenhagen into a major trading center.
Its spire depicts four dragons with tails twisted into spears and three crowns, symbolizing close ties with neighboring Norway and Sweden.