Emil Helms/Litzau Scanpics/AFP/Getty Images
On April 16, the historic old stock exchange building in Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, was engulfed in flames.
CNN
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Denmark's former stock exchange was engulfed by a massive fire on Tuesday morning, with video from the scene showing flames violently tearing through the historic building in the center of the capital.
Borsen Building has been the center of Danish business since the 17th century.
Footage showed huge plumes of black smoke billowing from the Copenhagen landmark as emergency responders worked below.
Stunned commuters and onlookers watched as flames swirled around the building's distinctive 56-metre spire, shaped like four intertwined dragon tails. The tower collapsed onto the road below.
Copenhagen police are asking people to avoid the area, but there have been no reports of injuries so far.
A police spokesperson said there were people in the building at the time of the fire, but they were all evacuated, adding that military personnel were on the scene to help put out the fire.
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Shocked onlookers watch as a historic building in central Copenhagen is engulfed by fire.
Ida Marie Odgaard/Litzau Scanpics/AFP/Getty Images
People retrieved paintings from the old stock exchange after a fierce fire broke out on Tuesday morning.
Just a few minutes walk from Christiansborg Palace, this old stock exchange dates back to 1625. The stock exchange was built in the Dutch Renaissance style at the request of King Christian IV and has recently been renovated, with the façade covered with scaffolding and protective coverings. .
Denmark's Culture Minister Jacob Engelschmidt said 400 years of cultural heritage had been damaged.
In a post on What a moving thing to see,” he added.
The Danish Chamber of Commerce, which is based in the building, described the scene as a “terrible scene”.
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File photo of the old Stock Exchange building.
Emergency services were working to extinguish the fire, but the fire spread through the elevator shaft to all floors.
Frank Trier Mikkelsen, operations manager for the Copenhagen Metropolitan Fire Department, said the fire was burning “intensely” inside the building, according to state TV station TV 2.
TV 2 reported that 40 firefighters were inside the building and were working to rescue valuables.
Mikkelsen told the Danish broadcaster that the fire was the kind of fire that emergency managers fear, and that part of the building's roof would have to be removed to extinguish it.
He added that machines were called in to remove parts of the copper roof as water was only reflecting.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
