Massive fire topples spire at Copenhagen’s historic stock exchange

Plumes of smoke billow from the historic Boersen stock exchange building which is on fire in central Copenhagen, Denmark on April 16, 2024. A violent fire broke out in the morning in the building, which was under renovation. The building was erected in the 1620s as a commercial building by King Christian IV and is located next to the Danish parliament. (Photo by Emil Helms / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT

Copenhague, Denmark —

The 54-meter (180-foot) spire disappeared into flames at the Borsen, which was commissioned by King Christian IV and built between 1619 and 1640, an AFP journalist saw.

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Located next to the Danish parliament, Christiansborg Palace, the building housed the stock exchange until the 1970s and currently serves as the headquarters of the Danish Chamber of Commerce.

Dramatic photographs showed huge plumes of black smoke emerging from the building. Police said on X they had blocked off parts of the city centre as part of fire fighting efforts.

“We are witnessing a terrible spectacle,” the Danish Chamber of Commerce said.

The building, one of the oldest in the Danish capital, was undergoing renovation work when it caught fire, whose cause was yet unknown.