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FIRE

Lucky escape after fire at Zurich’s ‘Houdini’ cinema

Some 40 people had a thankfully successful escape from the aptly-named Houdini cinema in Zurich on Tuesday morning when a fire broke out, causing several thousand francs of damage.

Published: 17 February 2015 12:48 CET
Lucky escape after fire at Zurich's 'Houdini' cinema
The fire broke out on Tuesday morning. Photo: Marcel Haertlein

Emergency services were called to the art-house multiplex cinema on Badenerstrasse in the Kalkbreite area of central Zurich at around 7.30am after a passer-by saw smoke pouring out of the building, news agency ATS reported.

Firemen evacuated 40 people, but no one was injured.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, though it is thought to have started in the bar on the ground floor of the building.

The Houdini cinema, which only opened last August, occupies the first three floors of the seven-storey building which also comprises apartments, shops and restaurants.

Passers-by took to Twitter to photograph the early-morning activity.

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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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