World
Fire breaks out at COP30 Pavilion in Brazil, halts climate negotiations
A section of the COP30 pavilion in Belém, Brazil, went up in flames on Thursday, causing panic among delegates and forcing organisers to activate emergency protocols.
Thick smoke rose from the affected area as firefighters raced to contain the blaze.
The cause of the fire was still unknown at the time of filing this report, although officials confirmed that an investigation has begun.
No casualties have been reported so far, but several delegates were evacuated for safety.
Witnesses said the fire spread rapidly before emergency responders managed to bring it under control.
The incident occurred less than 24 hours before the scheduled close of the high-level climate negotiations, leading to an abrupt suspension of talks.
Brazil’s tourism minister later confirmed that the fire had been contained.
Carla Pavia, a support staff member who witnessed the outbreak, told Newsman that the fire started in the Africa Pavilion.
“It started at the bottom of the pavilion,” she said.”
“I heard it was caused by a fault in the air-conditioning circuit.”
“The materials there caught fire very quickly, so the flames spread fast.”
In a message sent to participants, the UN said the host country’s fire chief had ordered a full evacuation of the COP30 venue to allow safety checks.
“The premises are now under the authority of the host country and are no longer considered a Blue Zone,” the email stated.
Organisers said a further update would be provided by 4 p.m.
The disruption has cast uncertainty over whether negotiators will be able to wrap up outstanding issues before COP30 officially ends on Friday.
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