South African Parliament catches fire in Cape Town

A fire broke out early on Sunday morning at the South African parliament building in Cape Town. The roof area had caught fire and the National Assembly building was on fire too, the city authorities said.

A dark plume of smoke and flames can be seen rising from the building in the centre of the city. The fire started in the early hours of the morning in the third-floor offices and spread to the National Assembly chamber. No people have been injured in the fire, which was reported by security guards.

Several fire engines were at the scene, and the cause of the fire was not known. The Houses of Parliament in Cape Town are made up of three sections, with the oldest dating back to 1884. The National Assembly houses at the newer sections built in the 1920s and 1980s.