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FIRE

Huge blaze ravages iconic bookstore and gallery in Paris

An iconic Paris bookstore and gallery that was a hangout for intellectuals such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir was destroyed in a huge blaze on Thursday.

Published: 16 November 2017 17:43 CET
Huge blaze ravages iconic bookstore and gallery in Paris
Photo: Joel Ratailleau/Twitter
Massive orange flames blazed from the windows of legendary bookshop La Hune in the French capital's Saint-Germain-des-Pres on Thursday afternoon. 
 
Dramatic scenes were witnessed with passersby gathering as firefighters attempted to quell the blaze and evacuate the people inside. 
 
So far emergency services have indicated that four people suffered minor injuries, according to French press reports.
 
“I came out of work on Rue de Rennes and just saw everyone looking up,” said Lillian Wagner who was at the scene. “I turned to see a few flames and many emergency vehicles.”
 
The blaze which could easily be seen from the street drew crowds who quickly took to social media to document what was going on (see below).
 
Iconic bookshop La Hune was once the hub of intellectuals such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and Albert Camus.
 
Founded by a group of resistance fighters in 1949, the bookshop was originally located between the famed Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots in Paris's sixth arrondissement and was frequently visited by luminaries including Coco Chanel, Françoise Sagan and François Mitterand.
 

 

 

 

 

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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