Belém,Brazil – The UN Climate Change conference (COP30) in Belém,Brazil,was evacuated Tuesday after a fire broke out inside the venue. BBC journalists on the scene reported seeing flames and smoke in the pavilion area before being rushed outside as fire engines arrived.
brazilian authorities have stated the fire is now under control and no injuries have been reported,though the cause remains unknown. The incident occurred during the final hours of negotiations as nearly 200 countries worked to reach agreements on climate action.
“There’s a huge panic,people have been running out of here,it’s a very dramatic moment… UN security guards are telling us to leave,” said BBC Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt. He also observed “huge columns of smoke rising up into the air through the hole that’s been burnt in the top of the conference center.”
Eyewitnesses suggested a possible electrical fire. Video footage showed flames burning through the venue’s sheeting, with one individual attempting to extinguish the blaze with a fire extinguisher.
Thousands of attendees, including delegates from around the world, were evacuated. Some delegations, including the UK’s, sought shelter under the roof of a nearby petrol station. Ambulances were seen arriving at the venue more than 90 minutes after the fire began, and a woman was taken away in a wheelchair, though a connection to the fire wasn’t promptly clear.
The venue has been secured by Brazilian authorities, who are working with the fire brigade to assess safety. The UN has temporarily handed over control of the summit to Brazil.The BBC has requested further facts from the UN regarding the fire’s cause and its impact on the ongoing negotiations.
