Cape Town Jan 2 (BNA): A major fire broke out in a 138-year-old parliament complex in South Africa on Sunday, destroying offices and causing some roofs to collapse at a site that has hosted some of the country’s pivotal moments.
As firefighters struggled to put out the blaze, a column of black smoke and flames rose high into the air over the southern city of Cape Town, an Associated Press report said.
Jermaine Karls, a spokesman for the Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service, said about 70 firefighters were still battling the blaze hours after it broke out in the early morning.
Some were raised on a crane to spray water on the flames from above. There were no reports of injuries, and Parliament itself was closed for the holidays.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, while visiting the venue, said that someone was “in custody and being questioned” by the police in connection with the fire. Police later confirmed the arrest of a 51-year-old man.
“The fire is currently in the rooms of the National Assembly,” Patricia de Lille, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, told reporters, as smoke rose behind her from the roof of the historic whitewashed building with huge pillars at the entrance. “This is a very sad day for democracy, because Parliament is the home of our democracy.”
She added, “We were not able to contain the fire in Parliament.” Part of the ceilings collapsed.
Officials said the fire started in the old assembly building, which was built in 1884 and originally housed the South African parliament but is now used for offices. It has extended to the newer National Assembly building, which was built in the 1980s and is where Parliament now sits.
Authorities fear serious damage has been caused to both buildings, which have stark white facades, elaborate roof linings and imposing pillars, all now obscured by fire and smoke.
There were also fears that the priceless artifacts inside, including the manuscript in which the composer wrote some of the lyrics for the South African national anthem, would be lost forever.
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