A major fire broke out this morning at the South African Parliament building in Cape Town.
The roof caught fire, then the National Assembly building went up in flames ”.
Pictures posted on social media show the roof of one of the Parliament buildings on fire and a huge column of smoke. The causes of the fire are still unknown.
The fire "is not under control" and "cracks have been reported in the walls of the building", a spokesman for the city's emergency services said at first. Then the flames were put out, even with the help of a crane, and the building was made safe. Initially it was feared that the fire could spread to the ancient halls of the palace, which are adorned with tapestries and curtains.
The South African Parliament complex consists of three buildings, including the original and oldest one which dates back to 1884. The other two were built in the 1920s and 1980s.
Last April, a fire devastated a part of the University of Cape Town library which houses a unique collection of African archives.
(Unioneonline / L)