South African parliament building partly destroyed by fire

The South African parliament building in Cape Town was hit by a very large fire on Sunday. According to the American news channel CNN, part of the roof has collapsed and the hall where the lower house used to be housed has been destroyed. According to a spokesperson, the part where the parliament is now also completely burned down.

As far as is known, there are no casualties. South African MPs are currently on Christmas break.

The fire broke out early Sunday morning and dozens of firefighters arrived on the scene. Although the South African Minister of Infrastructure reported earlier on Sunday that the situation was under control, the fire appeared to have spread further by early afternoon.

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The cause of the fire is not yet known. According to President Cyril Ramaphosa, someone has been arrested. This person is currently being questioned.

The fire is believed to have started in the original part of the Cape Town building, in one of the offices. The complex dates from 1884 and was later expanded twice. Later, the fire also spread to one of the newer areas, where the parliament now sits.

Images show how large flames come out of the building. Black smoke is also spreading through parts of the neighborhood where the parliament is housed. A few offices and a gym housed in the parliament were also damaged.