CAPE TOWN: The South African parliament is on fire

Firefighters in Cape Town have been battling the blaze at Parliament House since this morning. Some building roofs are said to have collapsed. The cause of the fire is not yet clear.

A fire broke out in the parliament in Cape Town, South Africa. Firefighters have been battling the blaze since early morning. Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure Patricia de Lille said the fire, which broke out on the third floor of the office building, had spread to the National Assembly building where parliament is located. Some of the roofs of the building collapsed.

“Currently the fire is on the National Assembly premises,” De Lille said. “This is a very sad day for democracy because parliament is the home of our democracy.” No injuries were reported, according to the fire department. Parliament was closed for the Christmas holidays.

Fire that lost control

“The roof caught fire and the National Assembly building also caught fire,” the city’s emergency services spokesman told AFP. Also, cracks were found in the walls of a building. The Parliament complex has a total of three buildings. The fire broke out at 4:30 a.m. (CET). The reason is not yet clear.

A huge fire at Table Mountain in Cape Town had already wreaked havoc in April. The fire struck several historic buildings and destroyed parts of the university library.