South Africa’s parliament burnsA large fire damaged much of the Houses of Parliament on Sunday. Officials warned that the damage to the historic complex would be extensive. Officials said the fire spread from an office space on the third floor of a building adjacent to the old National Assembly building. Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service spokesman warned that the buildings themselves were at risk of collapse, given the intense heat of the fire. Quotable: “The entire parliamentary complex is severely damaged — waterlogged and smoke damaged,” said JP Smith, Cape Town’s mayoral committee member for safety and security, adding that “the roof above the old assembly hall is completely gone.”

Source: The North Africa Journal January 02, 2022 21:28 UTC