(dpa) A big fire broke out in South Africa’s parliament in the tourist metropolis of Cape Town on Sunday. More than 60 firefighters have been fighting the blazing flames since the early hours of the morning, as the state television channel SABC reported. The fire initially broke out at the rear of the building complex that houses the Old Assembly Chamber and the National Council of the Provinces and a few hours later it spread to the building of the National Assembly, in which the parliament sits, said the provincial Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure, Patricia de Lille.
The roof of one of the buildings had collapsed, while some walls of the government complex were cracked, it said. Video footage showed thick black columns of smoke rising from the building. According to the Cape Town ambulance service, there were no injuries. The cause of fire was unclear for the moment.