Copenhagen's Old Stock Exchange Building Partly Collapses in Fire

By Derrick Bryson Taylor and Maya Tekeli

Derrick Bryson Taylor reported from London, and Maya Tekeli from Copenhagen.

The old stock exchange building in downtown Copenhagen — one of the city's oldest structures, known for its elaborate spire of intertwined dragon tails — partly collapsed in a large fire early Tuesday.

No one was injured, according to a statement from King Frederik X. Images and video from social media showed flames on the structure's roof and dark clouds of smoke lingering over the city.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire in the structure, which appeared to be undergoing renovations. As of early Tuesday afternoon, the blaze was still burning with "pockets of fire" in the building, an official with the Copenhagen fire department said.

The king said that the building's famed spire had helped define Copenhagen as a "city of towers."

"Until today, we have regarded the historic building as a beautiful symbol of our capital and a building that we, as a nation, have been proud of," he said.

The authorities responded to the fire just after 7:30 a.m., officials said in a news conference on Tuesday. Around 200 people have been involved in fighting the fire.

"It's still difficult to work in large parts of the building," said Jakob Vedsted Andersen, the executive director of the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department. "The entire structure has collapsed inside, so there are pockets of fire. However, there's no danger of the fire spreading to other buildings."

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