COP30 summit evacuated after fire breaks out in venue
A fire broke out on Thursday at the COP30 UN climate summit in Belém, Brazil, prompting the evacuation of the site. AFP and Belga journalists on the ground reported seeing smoke spreading through the venue, causing brief panic among delegates.
The fire started shortly after 2 p.m. local time (6 p.m. Belgian time) at a country pavilion near the entrance. Much of the summit is housed under a large tent structure, which was quickly cleared as firefighters arrived.
Brazilian Tourism minister Celso Sabino later said the blaze was "under control" and that no injuries had been reported. The minister added that he did not suspect it was criminal.
Sabino did not know whether negotiations would be able to resume later on Thursday. The UN climate secretariat said the fire service would carry out safety checks before allowing delegates to return and expected to provide an update later in the afternoon.
COP30, held in the Amazon city of Belém, was scheduled to conclude on Friday. But it seems likely that the climate summit will go into overtime, as negotiators have already missed a self-imposed Wednesday deadline to reach agreement on issues including increased climate finance and the global shift away from fossil fuels.
PHOTO © Pablo PORCIUNCULA / AFP
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