Short circuit sparks fire in Palestinian parliament

An electrical short circuit sparked a fire in the Palestinian parliament building in Ramallah today, officials said, sending a plume of black smoke billowing into the air and forcing workers to scurry to safety out of a window.

Rescue crews rushed to the scene and helped people climb down a ladder from the second-floor window onto the roof of a fire truck. A large crowd of onlookers gathered to watch.

No injuries were reported.

Parliament speaker Abdel Aziz Duaik said initial reports indicated the fire was caused by an electrical problem, but said an investigation would be launched.

The fire damaged a wing of the four-storey building used for committee offices. Three floors suffered extensive smoke damage, and electrical converter boxes were destroyed by flames.

The fire was quickly brought under control.