A fire broke out today in the building where the COP30 climate summit is being held in Belém, Brazil. Security footage showed flames breaking out at an exhibition pavilion and spreading rapidly up an internal fabric shell that lined the walls and ceiling of the building. The country’s tourism minister has announced that the fire is under control.
BELEM NOVEMBER 20: A fire broke out today in the building where the COP30 climate summit is being held in Belém, Brazil. The fire is believed to have started sometime late Thursday afternoon. The entire COP30 area had to be evacuated. There are reportedly no injuries, according to an interview with the governor of the state of Pará, where Belém is located.
The country’s tourism minister has announced that the fire is under control. The fire could cause the COP30 meeting, which is scheduled to end on Friday, to continue into the weekend.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had appealed earlier in the day for a deal from the summit, welcoming calls from some for clarity on the hotly disputed subject of weaning the world off fossil fuels.
Security footage showed flames breaking out at an exhibition pavilion and spreading rapidly up an internal fabric shell that lined the walls and ceiling of the building, before being extinguished. Delegates ran from the area as it filled with smoke.
Thousands of delegates were evacuated as security staff formed a human barrier across the hallway. The U.N. summit organisers said they would issue an update at 8 p.m. (2300 GMT) following a safety evaluation.
