Australia: Fire damages doors of Old Parliament House

A fire damaged the doors of the Old Parliament House in the Australian capital city of Canberra on Thursday.

The historic building, home to the Australian Federal Parliament from 1927 to 1988, has been the site of protests for the last few days.

The cause of the fire has not been ascertained yet. All those inside the building have been evacuated and the blaze has been extinguished, emergency services said.

Historic building suffers damage

The Australian Capital Territory emergency services said they were called to the site a little before noon and saw the doors alight. 

Social media footage showed flames leaping up the door and a thick plume of smoke rising above the building.   

Local reports also showed protesters at the site after the blaze was put out.

Australia warns against deliberate attempt to light fire

Barnaby Joyce, Australia's deputy prime minister, said it would be an "absolute disgrace" if the fire had been deliberately lit.

Protesters had previously lit a fire next to the doors of the building on December 21.

"This is the Parliament that for so long underpinned the freedoms we have as a democracy, and made the decisions that formed us as a nation, fighting for the increase of rights and corrections to our colonial past," Joyce said.

"If someone is trying to make a statement then it is a very bad one that will be received with overwhelming disgust," he added.

rm/fb (AP/AFP)