Blaze in Croatian capital Zagreb destroys landmark 16-storey Vjesnik news tower

A massive fire broke out in a landmark skyscraper in the downtown area of the Croatian capital Zagreb overnight on Tuesday, almost completely gutting the building but leaving no casualties.

The building known as the Vjesnik tower was named after a popular newspaper published there for decades, along with other notable newspapers and magazines, until around 12 years ago.

The fire started near the top of the 16-floor building and quickly spread downward, preventing some 100 firefighters from entering, Croatian media said.

The building, modelled after the Lever House office building on Manhattan's Park Avenue, also known as the Chocolate Tower, was almost completely empty when the fire broke out close to midnight on Monday.

The fire seemed to be extinguished by Tuesday afternoon, although the metal and concrete construction was still smouldering. The cause of the blaze remains uknown, according to authorities.

State archives in peril?

According to Branko Bačić, Croatia's deputy prime minister and construction and state property minister, the building housed parts of the state archives.

"In one part of the building, there were archives from the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Finance, or rather the tax authority. Many of the floors were empty, nothing was there," Bačić told the domestic press.

He said that the government, which co-owns the building with five other entities, is in talks on its reconstruction.

"(The tower) already needed reconstruction so we are already in the procedure and the conversation with other co-owners on how to do it," Bačić added.

"From what I saw on site and inside the building, the damage is unfortunately total, but I believe that the state and other owners will start the renovation of the building in this prominent location of our city as soon as possible," Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said.

Around 80 firefighters were deployed to bring the blaze under control, public broadcaster HRT said, adding that traffic was still being diverted away from the tower on Tuesday.