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FIRE

Barbecue buddies face Majorca blaze charges

Three men have been arrested for allegedly starting a major fire in Majorca after a barbecue on Thursday went wrong.

Published: 30 July 2013 17:51 CEST
Barbecue buddies face Majorca blaze charges
A member of the UME (Unit Military Emergency) attempts to put out a fire on a mountain near Andratx, Majorca, on Saturday. Photo: Jaime Reina/AFP

Spain's Civil Guard arrested Ignacio G.H on the weekend on suspicion of having started the fire in Majorca.

He spent Monday night in police custody and was expected to appear before a judge as early as Tuesday.

Two other men have also been charged for starting the forest fire. 

Ignacio G.H is the brother of Samuul G.H, in charge of the farmstead where the fire originated.

Samuel was earlier arrested but then freed on bail while authorities continued to investigate the cause of the fire.

Those investigations ended with the arrest of his brother, aged 44, and of two friends, Spain's El Mundo newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Investigators believe the three men were enjoying a barbecue on Thursday at Samuel's farm.

Ignacio and his two friends had then thrown the hot coals over a ploughed field. 

This became the fire that destroyed almost 1,800 hectares of the World Heritage Tramuntana mountains, police believe.

No one was injured in the fires, although one fireman was treated for dehydration.

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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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