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A man in his fifties has been arrested over a fire that destroyed an entire floor and collapsed the ceiling at the South African Parliament in Cape Town.
Patricia de Lille, the Minister for Public Works and Infrastructure, said the man had been arrested within Parliament and the case had been handed over to an elite police unit called the Hawks.
Flames could be seen and a plume of smoke rose into the sky early on Sunday morning, starting around 5.30am local time (3.30am in the UK).
The fire started in offices on the third floor and spread to the National Assembly Hall, said local fire service spokesman Jermaine Karls, adding that no one was hurt.
It is feared that parts of the complex, some dating back to 1884, may collapse due to the heat.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said it was “devastating news” but Parliament’s work would continue.
He told reporters, “I think someone is now being held and is being questioned.”
He added, “It seems that the sprinkler system did not work as it was supposed to, but their (firefighters) appearance and coming here have saved a national treasure that is very important to our government.”
About 60 firefighters were at the site to tackle the fire.
Ms de Lille added that someone had shut off one of the valves in the sprinkler system so there was no water to run it.
“We can’t tell you exactly where the fire started,” she said, adding that it was “a very sad day for our democracy.”
0:31 “A very sad day for our democracy”
Jean-Pierre Smith, a member of the Cape Town Municipal Committee responsible for safety and security, said the roof of the old building had collapsed and the third floor had been destroyed, including the offices and gym.
He also told reporters that the parliament fire alarm went off when firefighters were already on the scene.
President Ramaphosa and several high-ranking South African politicians were in Cape Town for Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s funeral, which was held on Saturday at the city’s St George’s Cathedral, a block from Parliament House.
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