After fire
Copenhagen: Unclear whether masonry can be saved
The destroyed building of the old stock exchange in Copenhagen. It is still unclear why the fire broke out. photo
© Liselotte Sabroe/Ritzau Scanpix Photo/AP/dpa
The fire severely damaged the old stock exchange. However, parts of the historic masonry are still standing. Before they can be stabilized from the inside, the rubble must first be removed.
It is uncertain whether the historic masonry can be saved after the destructive fire in the old stock exchange in Copenhagen. “The building probably needs further support,” said fire department operations manager Tim Ole Simonsen at a press conference.
Although about half of the stock exchange was burned out by the flames on Tuesday, parts of the historic masonry that was built 400 years ago can still be seen. The emergency services are primarily busy stabilizing the building by setting up containers with concrete blocks that are connected to scaffolding around the building, it said.
Before emergency crews can stabilize the walls from the inside, which may be necessary to save them, all rubble and other debris from the bottom of the building must be removed.
Continued closures around the old stock exchange
Today, a large crane operation will be used to remove parts of the exchange’s burned inventory and rubble. The closures around the historic stock exchange will therefore not be lifted until Monday at the earliest. How long the work will take It remained unclear how long the fire brigade would take.
It is also unclear when the police will have access to the burned building to begin their investigation. “As I said, the building probably needs further strengthening, which means there is a risk of it collapsing,” Simonsen said. It is therefore still too unsafe to go in. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.