A suspect has appeared in court over the fire that ripped through South Africa’s Parliament complex in Cape Town. The oldest section of parliament was still burning over a day later, though the blaze was contained, Deutsche Welle reports. Firefighters manages to contain the fire, but the blaze caused extensive damage and knocked down the roof of the old assembly building, authorities said.
The fire is believed to have started in one of the older buildings in the South African Parliament sent a black plume of smoke across Cape Town Sunday morning. “The roof has caught fire and the National Assembly building is also on fire,” a spokesman for the city’s emergency services told reporters.
“This is a disastrous event that should sadden all of us,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said when he inspected the damage. “This is devastating, coming as it does a day after our send-off for Archbishop Desmond Tutu”, he said refering to the funeral that was held on January 1 in the nearby Cathedral. A suspect was arrested and an investigation was launched, officials have said.
