COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Traffic began to flow Monday near Copenhagen’s historic Old Stock Exchange which was half-destroyed by fire last week.
A busy bridge reopened and police were allowed to enter the ruins. Firefighters scaled down their presence, with some remaining there protectively in case small pockets of fire reignite or walls tumble.
Though some streets near the 400-year-old landmark were still blocked for traffic, drivers were able to reach the city’s center via Knippel Bridge for the first time since the fire.
”Now we are at a stage where the police can come in and inspect some things,” said Jakob Vedsted Andersen, head of the Greater Copenhagen Fire Department, adding that police quickly checked out wreckage after firefighters stabilized it.
The cause of the fire was still unknown, Vedsted Andersen said.
Tuesday’s blaze destroyed more than half the building that was under renovation, toppling the green copper roof and the iconic dragon-tail spire. The most valuable paintings and items inside had been saved from the flames, and no one was injured.