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FIRE

Italian man dies in Swiss Alps chalet fire

A man who died in a fire that ripped through a chalet complex in the Swiss Alps is the 21-year-old son of the CEO of MSC Cruises.

Published: 5 February 2016 11:48 CET
Italian man dies in Swiss Alps chalet fire
View of Villars, where the fire broke out. Photo: Office du Tourisme Villars

The fire erupted in the building in Villars-sur Ollon, a mountain ski resort town in the canton of Vaud, early on Wednesday morning.

Police said on Thursday that identifying the victim, from Genoa, might take some time, although reports in the Italian media say he is Lorenzo Onorato, the son of Gianni Onorato, who joined MSC in 2013 after leaving rival firm, Costa Crociere. 

MSC gave its condolences to the Onorato family on Thursday.

Another 20-year-old managed to save himself by jumping from a window on the third floor of the building, landing on mattresses piled up by neighbours to break his fall.

The structure consisted of 20 apartments, some of which were occupied year-round, while others were used as holiday homes. The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained.

The building is near the ski resort of Villars-Gryon in the Vaud Alps.

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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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