S. African parliament building on fire: official

CAPE TOWN: JAN. 2 – South Africa’s parliament in the legislative capital here caught fire on Sunday morning and has spread to the building of the National Assembly, the lower house, an official said.

Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services received a call in the early morning of a building alight in Parliament Street, which is within the precinct of the parliament, said Jean-Pierre Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, in a statement.

About 36 firefighters from different firefighting crews are on the scene and they request more resources to contain the fire, he said.

Initial reports indicated the fire started in an office space, he added.

The parliament complex has century-old buildings.

-Agency