TRAGEDY

‘Out of Control’ Cape Town Fire Destroys Historic University Library, Students Evacuated

A wildfire is causing serious damage to South Africa's University of Cape Town, destroying historic texts and causing student evacuations.

A wildfire that originated in South Africa’s Table Mountain National Park has caused significant damage to the nearby University of Cape Town on Sunday, destroying the historical Jagger library, and causing hundreds of students to be evacuated. Local reports say that the Jagger Library housed an invaluable African Studies collection. According to the Associated Press, more than 100 firefighters and other emergency workers have been deployed to the university campus and Table Mountain National Park, with four helicopters being used to drop water on the fires, say officials. According to local reports, one firefighter is currently being treated for burn wounds. Officials say that the origin of the blaze is likely to be an “unattended vagrant fire” in the national park.