Cape Town:
A major fire broke out at the South African parliament building in Cape Town on Sunday, AFP reporters said on the spot.
Firefighters were present at the building as large flames and a huge column of smoke were observed around 0530 GMT.
“The roof has caught fire and the National Assembly building is also on fire,” a spokesman for the city’s emergency services told AFP, requesting reinforcements at the scene.
“The fire is not under control and cracks in the walls of the building have been reported,” he added.
Images seen on social media – and not verified by AFP – showed a mass of flames that appeared to lick through the roof of one of the parliament buildings.
There was no indication of what could have caused the fire.
The Houses of Parliament in Cape Town consists of three parts, including the original and oldest building which was completed in 1884.
The newer additions – built in the 1920s and 1980s – house the National Assembly.
In April last year, a fire destroyed part of the library of the University of Cape Town with a unique collection of African archives.
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