A 49-year-old suspect has been arrested and charged in connection to a large fire that “gutted” South Africa’s Parliament complex in Cape Town on Sunday, according to police.
The blaze tore through Parliament on Sunday, causing the roof of one building to collapse and gutting the chamber of the National Assembly. On Monday, the blaze flared up again, with dozens of firefighters sent back to once again battle the flames, according to the a statement from Parliament’s presiding officers.
The fire first broke out on Sunday and completely destroyed the National Assembly, or lower chamber. Authorities had warned that flare-ups would be possible because of carpets and wooden floors in the building, with parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mathapo telling South Africa’s TimesLive some firefighters had “worked throughout the night” to try and prevent further blazes.
But just 12 firefighters were on site when the wind reignited wood above the National Assembly on Monday, according to news agency AFP. Despite reinforcements being sent, flames could still be seen emerging from the building as night fell.
An update from the city council at 22:00 local time (20:00 GMT) said the building’s fourth and fifth floors had been completely destroyed. It was not immediately clear if the blaze had been extinguished.
On Sunday, President Cyril Ramaphosa – who admitted the building’s sprinkler system had not functioned properly – praised firefighters for responding to the “terrible and devastating event” in minutes.
The parliament is not currently in session because of the holidays, and no-one was injured.
The building is home to thousands of treasures including historic books, photographs and important works of art, which officials said had been saved.
