Fire at Building in South African Parliament Complex... "Flames Under Control" (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] On the morning of the 2nd (local time), a fire broke out in a building within the parliamentary complex in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, according to AFP news agency and others.

Patricia Theron, Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, expressed regret at the fire scene, saying, "It is very unfortunate that a fire broke out in the Parliament, the birthplace of South African democracy," and added, "The actual parliament building currently in use is still safe, and the fire authorities are controlling the flames and managing the situation." Local fire authorities reported, "The fire spread mainly around the roof of the parliamentary building, and cracks were also reported on the building walls."

The fire department explained that the fire started in the office space on the third floor of the building and spread to the gymnasium. However, the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are not yet known.

Composed of three sections, the South African Parliament was first built in 1884. New buildings were added in the 1920s and 1980s respectively. The parliament building that caught fire is located near Cape Town's St. George's Cathedral, where the funeral of Desmond Tutu, the honorary archbishop, was held.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.