CAPE TOWN, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- South African Parliament said the fire at its precinct that flared up again on Monday afternoon has been contained.
Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo told Xinhua over the phone on Tuesday that the fire at the parliament, which initially broke out early Sunday, was "contained" and currently "there is no fire" at the parliament. But he added it is difficult to say whether the fire has been extinguished as firefighters continue to search the grounds.
New flames, which first started on the roof of the building of the lower house National Assembly, gutted the 4th and 5th floors as of about 10 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), after stronger winds ignited the smoldering wood inside the roof's void space, parts of which were not accessible for dousing or dampening, according to Jean-Pierre Smith, Cape Town's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security.
The parliament said in a statement that floors housing offices of members of Parliament and support staff, and the roof around where the flare-up occurred were completely gutted.
The fire has extensively destroyed the interior of the National Assembly building, with the lower house chamber completely burned down, and caused extensive damage to the Old Assembly building built in 1885, which houses the upper house National Council of Provinces.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, but police say they arrested a 49-year-old man "allegedly linked to setting parliament building alight." The suspect will be charged with housebreaking and theft as well as arson.
