Nitijela parliament building devastated in overnight fire in Marshall Islands

An overnight blaze has gutted half of the Marshall Islands' parliament building, known as the Nitijela in Majuro. The remaining structure is unusable, with archives, library, chambers, and offices destroyed. Firefighters extinguished the flames, but the nation faces a critical recovery challenge.

Officials from the Marshall Islands Fire Department confirmed that the blaze broke out overnight and burned down roughly half of the structure. Though responders managed to extinguish the fire, authorities say the remaining portion of the building is now unusable. A police official echoed the grim verdict: the parliament has effectively been destroyed.

According to RNZ, the destruction encompasses critical areas like the parliamentary chamber, offices, library, and archives. “Everything’s wiped out. All the records are gone,” reported RNZ’s correspondent Giff Johnson.

The local fire department, widely described as severely under-resourced, faced significant challenges. Firefighters only managed to reach the scene well after the fire was already raging.

This disaster struck at a sensitive time: the parliament was in session to finalize the national budget. Now, lawmakers must scramble to find a temporary venue to continue their work.

Internationally, condolences poured in. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung offered sympathies and pledged to stay in close communication with the Marshall Islands government. He also promised to provide “necessary assistance in a timely manner,” although details were not clarified.

With a population of around 42,000, about half residing in Majuro, the destruction of this central institution hits hard. The nation, which maintains a compact of free association with the United States and diplomatic ties with Taiwan, now faces a daunting task: rebuilding not just a structure but also the processes and records that kept its democracy functioning.

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