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No injuries have been reported in the fire, which was reported by security guards on Sunday morning.
A major fire erupted at the South African parliament building in Cape Town, with flames bursting from the roof of a building and a plume of smoke that could be seen from miles away, but authorities said after several hours that firefighters had the situation under control.
Firefighters arrived at the building as large flames and a huge column of smoke were seen at around 05:30 GMT on Sunday.
The fire started on the third-floor offices and spread to the National Assembly chamber, City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Jermaine Carelse told local media.
No injuries have been reported in the fire, which was reported by security guards, Carelse said.
Several hours after the blaze started, thick smoke was still pouring from one of the several buildings that make up the parliament complex.
Report of fire at #SouthAfrican #parliament in #capetown #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/LRBQQC0YVy
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Later on Sunday, Minister of Public Works Patricia de Lille said it was the Old Assembly that caught fire.
She added that the flames had been mostly brought under control and that CCTV footage was being reviewed to determine what caused the incident.
News24 reported that 36 firefighters were initially sent to the scene and authorities later called for additional resources as they tried to contain the blaze.
Member of parliament Steve Swart called the fire “tragic” and told reporters at the scene that MPs will continue their work remotely.
MP Samantha Graham, who sits in the Portfolio Committee on Public Works, has raised concerns that the fire at the Parliamentary buildings could have been prevented.
According to Graham, an external report by auditing company BDO had highlighted the fire hazard.
“The minister refused to give us the report but handed it to the Speaker of Parliament. If the fire is as a result of one or more of the risks indicated in the report, then the Minister and the Speaker are complicit,” Graham was quoted by News24 as saying.
A fire had broken out on March 17, 2021, at the Parliament’s Old Assembly building, affecting several areas including the upper floor offices and committee rooms.
The Parliament’s Presiding Officers said investigations are underway to establish what led to the fire.
Firemen spray water on flames erupting from the South Africa’s Parliament building [Jerome Delay/AP Photo]World - Latest - Google News
January 02, 2022 at 04:00PM
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