Copenhagen
Securing after the collapse of the facade of the historic stock exchange
The masonry of the burned-out half of the historic stock exchange in Copenhagen has collapsed. photo
© Thomas Traasdahl/Ritzau Scanpix Photo/AP/dpa
Parts of the facade of the old stock exchange in Copenhagen are collapsing before the eyes of the city. The emergency services are now trying everything to ensure that nothing further happens.
After the sudden collapse of some of the outer walls of the burnt half of the historic stock exchange In Copenhagen, the emergency services are still busy with security work. Despite extensive efforts, the façade collapsed on the old stock exchange side on Thursday afternoon, with only the outer walls remaining. Among other things, containers were supposed to hold the remains of the fire – but in vain. As the city watched, some of the walls of the iconic structure gave way. According to initial information from the fire department, there were no injured or missing people. The scaffolding that was standing around the masonry for restoration work also fell over.
The security forces initially said the situation needed to be reassessed. According to the fire department, the remaining part of the outer wall is still unstable. “We have to reorient ourselves because there are no guidelines for this case,” says Tim Ole Simonsen, a fire department operations manager. The emergency services wanted to secure the remaining parts that evening. Large machinery and cranes will remove scaffolding from the part of the exchange that collapsed.
The building, which was built 400 years ago, is located on the eastern tip of the island of Slotsholmen on the Holmens Canal opposite the Danish National Bank and is a tourist attraction. A destructive fire broke out there on Tuesday. The old stock exchange, which is now home to the Danish Chamber of Commerce, which also owns the building, houses, among other things, a large art collection. The building has not been used as a stock exchange in the true sense for a long time. Several streets and the area around the historic stock exchange remain cordoned off.