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Fire in Parliament in Cape Town: "The roof caught fire"
Photo: Jerome Delay / AP
A fire broke out in the South African parliament in Cape Town.
"The roof caught fire, and the building of the National Assembly is also on fire," said a spokesman for the municipal emergency services of the AFP news agency on Sunday morning.
Flames and thick clouds of smoke could be seen on the building, as reported by AFP journalists.
The cause was initially unclear.
The emergency services asked for reinforcements.
According to the spokesman, the fire was initially not under control.
In addition, cracks were found in the walls of a building.
The parliament complex consists of three buildings in total.
The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. Central European Time.
South African MP Dianne Kohler Barnard wrote on Twitter that the fire probably broke out in an office wing.
Numerous photos and videos shared on social media show flames licking over the roof and a tall column of smoke.
A major fire on Table Mountain in Cape Town had already caused devastation in April.
The fire hit several historical buildings and destroyed parts of the university library, among other things.
lov / AFP
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