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FIRE

‘Pizzeria arsonist’ wounded in fire

A 25-year-old man who received burns in a pizzeria fire has been arrested on suspicion of committing severe arson.

Published: 16 June 2013 16:41 CEST

It was just after midnight on Sunday that a violent fire broke out in a pizza restaurant in Strängnäs, south-east Sweden.

When rescue personnel arrived they found a 25-year-old man at the restaurant who was wounded, having received burns.

Police questioned the man on the spot and then arrested him before bringing him to a nearby hospital.

Police are treating the fire as arson and believe the 25-year-old is the culprit. He reportedly has no criminal record and details of his condition were unclear on Sunday afternoon, according to tabloid Aftonbladet.

It took 16 firemen to put out the flames.

“The fire started in the pizzeria, spread up to the attic and then a whole row of houses nearly went up in smoke,” fire inspector Michael Gregebo told news agency TT.

“On Monday, forensic investigators will examine the location,” said police commander Dennis Ejdvinsson.

Fire fighters managed to contain the fire within a few hours and stopped it from spreading to other buildings.

A neighbouring gym hall was evacuated since children attending a sports camp were spending the night there.

By 11am on Sunday, when the fire was finally out, the pizzeria was completely burnt down.

TT/The Local/nr Follow The Local on Twitter

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FIRE

Situation ‘unstable’ at Copenhagen’s old stock exchange after fire

Three days after a fire which ravaged Copenhagen's historic former stock exchange broke out, emergency services said Friday that the situation was "unstable" due to equipment issues and a strong breeze.

Published: 19 April 2024 17:44 CEST
Situation 'unstable' at Copenhagen's old stock exchange after fire

In the morning, during work to dismantle the scaffolding surrounding the building, a crane’s cutters came loose for as of yet unknown reasons.

It is currently wedged between the scaffolding — put up for the renovation of the historic building that was ongoing — and what remains of the walls.

“It is affecting our efforts”, Tim Ole Simonsen, leader of the operation at the rescue services, told a press conference.

Coupled with the wind picking up, the incident, which has temporarily halted work on dismantling the scaffolding, has made the situation “unstable”.

“The wind is blowing harder and harder, and there are tarps over the scaffolding that can catch the wind,” Simonsen said.

He added that this increases the risks, in particular of further collapse of the burnt-out facade which started collapsing late Thursday afternoon.

Located close to the Christiansborg parliament and seat of government, the Borsen building was commissioned by King Christian IV and built between 1619 and 1640. It was the stock exchange until the 1970s.

The fire began Tuesday morning under the copper roof of the building, which was undergoing renovations ahead of its 400th anniversary.

The cause of the blaze was unknown and Copenhagen police said Wednesday that a major investigation had been launched.

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