A large part of the Copenhagen Stock Exchange building was destroyed by flames and the spire collapsed

“We are still fighting the flames.” said Copenhagen Emergency Management Director Jakob Vedsted Andersen as his team continues to work tirelessly to try to put out the flames in the historic Old Stock Exchange building in the heart of Copenhagen. “There are complications. As the load-bearing structures inside the building burn, the walls become unstable, and that is what we are focusing on now,” he added, as reported by the Danish news agency Ritzau. Andersen hopes that by this afternoon his team will be able to put out the flames but it may take 24 hours to completely extinguish the fire. “The entire building collapsed inside, so there are many pockets of fire that we will have to bring under control before we can finish the operation.” Firefighters have so far managed to contain the fire in part of thebuilding dating back to 1625 and which was undergoing restoration in view of the jubilee of 400 years since its construction. “Oh no, it cannot happen that over 400 years of cultural heritage goes up in flames” declared the mayor of Copenhagen, Sophie Haestorp Andersen: “We have to think about what can be saved and how to rebuild it, because it is very important for the city” he added, reported by Danish public service broadcaster, DR.