A fire destroyed half of the national parliament building in the Marshall Islands overnight, officials said on Tuesday, leaving the structure unusable.
The Marshall Islands Fire Department confirmed that the blaze broke out at the Nitijela, the country’s parliament, and was later extinguished. A police official told Reuters that the remaining building cannot be used. Fire trucks responded to the incident.
The Pacific archipelago, located midway between Hawaii and Australia, has a population of roughly 42,000, with about half residing in the capital, Majuro. The Marshall Islands maintains a compact of free association with the United States, which provides economic assistance in exchange for military access, and also maintains diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung expressed condolences and said that Taiwan would remain in communication with the Marshall Islands government and “provide necessary assistance in a timely manner,” without offering further details.
Attempts to reach a spokesperson for President Hilda Heine were not immediately successful.
The overnight fire marks a significant loss for the Marshall Islands, destroying a key center of governance and requiring urgent attention to restore parliamentary functions.
