2024 Børsen fire
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
.jpg) | |
| Date | 16 April 2024 |
|---|---|
| Time | 07:36 am (alarm) CEST |
| Duration | TBA |
| Venue | Børsen |
| Location | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Coordinates | 55°40′32″N 12°35′2″E / 55.67556°N 12.58389°E |
| Type | structure fire |
| Cause | Unknown (possibly accidental) |
| Deaths | 0 |
| Property damage | Spire destroyed; roof removed |
On 16 April 2024, a fire spread throughout the Børsen, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The building was a 17th century stock exchange until business was transferred to Nasdaq Copenhagen. The fire resulted in the collapse of its iconic Dragespir ("Dragon Spire") at around 08:32 CEST.[1][2] The fire occurred during renovation work on the main building's copper roof, but the cause of the blaze was unknown. About half of the building had been destroyed by the afternoon.[3]
Fire
The scaffolding around the building also caught fire, making it harder for firefighters to reach the flames[4], while the copper roof contained the heat.[5] Military personnel were also on site to support fire-fighting efforts.[4]
Additional machinery had also been called in to help remove the roof, as it was preventing water from reaching the fire.[4] The facades were in danger of collapsing as the fire burned,[5] as the building is mostly made of wood.[6]
Impact
Historic paintings from the building's substantial art collection,[7] as well as historic furniture,[4] were rescued from the burning building by staff, emergency workers, and passers-by.[8] Among them were From Copenhagen Stock Exchange by Skagen Painter Peder Severin Krøyer and Det danske handelskammer komite og adm. direktør 1995 by Thomas Kluge. [9][10] The nearby National Museum immediately sent 25 employees to help retrieve the art.[5] Everyone in the building was able to leave, and there were no casualties.[7]
Reactions
Danish Chamber of Commerce
Brian Mikkelsen, CEO of the building's owner, the Danish Chamber of Commerce, said that it would be rebuilt "no matter what".[6]
Politics
Denmark's Deputy Prime Minister, Troels Lund Poulsen, called the fire "our own Notre Dame moment". The fire occurred five years and a day after the Notre-Dame fire in Paris, another renovation fire which also destroyed the building's roof and spire.[4]
Royal family
King Frederik X released a statement, saying the fire was "a sad sight". "For 400 years, Christian IV’s edifice Børsen has been a distinctive landmark of Copenhagen," the statement said. [11]
References
- ^ "Børsen i København står i brand: '400 års kulturarv i flammer'" (in Danish). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Børsen står i flammer: Det ikoniske dragetårn er kollapset" (in Danish). Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Fire destroys Copenhagen's Old Stock Exchange dating to 1600s, collapsing its dragon-tail spire". Associated Press. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Halasz, Stephanie; Mortensen, Antonia; Said-Moorhouse, Lauren (16 April 2024). "Spire collapses after fire rips through Copenhagen's old stock exchange". CNN. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b c Brady, Kate (16 April 2024). "Fire consumes Copenhagen's 400-year-old stock market building". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b Milne, Richard (16 April 2024). "Denmark's historic stock exchange goes up in flames". Financial Times. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ a b Kirby, Paul (16 April 2024). "Historic Copenhagen stock exchange in Denmark goes up in flames". BBC News. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Copenhagen's historic stock exchange in flames". 16 April 2024 – via www.bbc.com.
- ^ "Særligt maleri reddet ud af brændende Børsen". TV2 ØST (in Danish). 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Historisk P.S. Krøyer-maleri reddes ud fra brændende Børsen". TV 2 (Denmark) (in Danish). TV 2 (Denmark). 16 April 2024. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ "Announcement from HM The King". kongehuset.dk/en. The Royal House. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
Media related to 2024 Børsen fire at Wikimedia Commons
