Copenhagen stock exchange fire: Spire collapses as historic tourist attraction engulfed by blaze

One of Copenhagen's oldest buildings is on fire and its famous spire has collapsed.

The roof of the 17th-century old stock exchange, or Boersen, that was once Denmark's financial centre, was engulfed in flames on Tuesday.

The building, which is situated next to the Christiansborg Palace where the parliament sits, is a popular tourist attraction.

Its distinctive spire, in the shape of the tails of four dragons entwined together, reached a height of 56 metres (184 feet).

Huge billows of smoke rose over downtown Copenhagen and people were seen rushing inside the building to save paintings.

Danish media reported that an annex of the parliament was being evacuated.

Police and firefighters were at work outside the building, which was encased in scaffolding and was under renovation. Ambulances were at the scene but there were no reports of casualties.

Danish culture minister Jakon Engel-Schmidt said it was "touching" to see how passers-by helped emergency services "to save art treasures and iconic images from the burning building".

The Danish Chamber of Commerce has its headquarters in the building, which was built in 1615. The chamber's head, Brian Mikkelsen, was among those helping to carry paintings out of the building.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The roof, masonry, sandstone and spire of Boersen are considered a leading example of Dutch Renaissance style in Denmark.

The Chamber of Commerce moved into the building after Copenhagen's stock exchange left in 1974.

The chamber's head, Brian Mikkelsen, was among those helping to carry paintings out of the building, telling reporters: "It is a national disaster".

The adjacent Christiansborg Palace has burned down on several occasions, and most recently in 1990 a fire broke out in an annex of the Danish parliament, known as Proviantgaarden. However, the Old Stock Exchange survived unscathed.