The second fire that broke out at Parliament on Monday, January 3 has now been contained by City of Cape Town (COCT) Firefighters.
According to multiple reports, firefighters battled for several hours to contain the fire that broke out on Monday after containing the initial fire that began on Sunday morning.
The COCT’s Fire and Rescue spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, indicated that firefighters were able to bring the fire under control just after midnight but have remained at the scene to assess the damage to the building. Carelse went on to say that two floors of the National Assembly, four and five, have been completely gutted following the second flare-up.
Read also: Parliament fire reignites
The City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith further added that teams are now working their way through the maze-like building, room-for-room, as they attempt to locate and extinguish and hot spots.
“This is a lengthy process, as some rooms are needing to have their interior wooden cladding pulled apart, in order to identify any concealed hot spots,” Smith said.
In the meantime, the man who is allegedly responsible for the fire at Parliament is expected to appear in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, January 4. According to the Hawks, the 49-year-old suspect was arrested after he was caught with the stolen property after he gained entry to the parliamentary precinct.
Read more:
Picture: Facebook/JP Smith