MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd January, 2022) A fire broke out in the building of the South African parliament, located in the capital city of Cape Town, on Sunday, media reported.
According to the News24 news portal, several fire brigades are at the site at the moment trying to contain the fire, which already spread on the building of the Old Assembly.
"The bitumen on the roof is even melting, an indication of the intense heat. There have been reports of some walls showing cracks, which could indicate a collapse," a spokesperson for the City of Cape Town's Fire and Rescue Service, Jermaine Carelse, said, as quoted by the media.
According to the portal, the smoke is also pouring out of the National Assembly (lower chamber of the Parliament) building.
The Cape Town Parliament complex consists of several buildings � an old building dating back to the 19th century and new ones from the 1920s and 1980s that house the lower house.
According to News24, emergency services cordoned off the territory of the parliament and requested reinforcements.
In April, a major fire started near Cape Town, which engulfed the campus and the Cape Town University library. The fire was localized only on the fourth day.
