By Leila Nezirevic
LONDON (AA) – The outer walls of Denmark’s historic Old Stock Exchange building in central Copenhagen collapsed Thursday after it was entirely engulfed by fire Tuesday, local media reported.
So far, there are no injuries reported, according to local TV station TV2.
Flames engulfed the Danish capital's historical Old Stock Exchange building Tuesday morning, as authorities likened it to the 2019 Notre-Dame Cathedral fire.
This is "our own Notre Dame moment," Deputy Prime Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on X.
The cause of the blaze in central Copenhagen remains unclear, though emergency services said a scaffolding that had been set up around the building made the firefighting mission more difficult, according to Danish state broadcaster DR.
Flames spread throughout the 400-year-old Stock Exchange building, or Borsen, with its famed central spire collapsing.
On April 15, 2019, the roof and spire of Notre Dame de Paris, a medieval Catholic cathedral, were destroyed in a devastating fire. Major interior damage was prevented by the vaulted stone ceiling which allowed the recovery of invaluable relics and artwork. Notre Dame is due to reopen in December this year.
The historical building is situated next to Denmark's parliament, the Folketing, and the Royal Christiansborg Palace.
The Stock Exchange, which featured a spire shaped by the intertwined tails of four dragons, and three crowns symbolizing the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, had been under renovation when the fire broke out.
The Borsen dates back to 1625. It was built by King Christian IV and is the oldest building in Copenhagen.