Fire engulfed a section of the COP30 pavilion in Belém, Brazil, on Thursday, triggering panic among delegates and forcing organisers to activate emergency protocols.
Thick smoke was seen billowing from the affected structure as firefighters rushed to the scene to contain the blaze.
The cause of the fire was not known at the time of this report, but officials said an investigation has been launched.
No casualties have been reported so far, though several delegates were evacuated as a precaution. Witnesses said the fire spread quickly before responders brought it under control.
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The incident occurred less than 24 hours to the close of the high-level climate negotiations, prompting an abrupt suspension of talks.
Brazil’s tourism minister said the fire has been brought under control.
Carla Pavia, a support staff member who witnessed the incident, told TheCable that the fire broke out at the Africa Pavilion.
“It started at the bottom of the pavilion,” she said.
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“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 reads.
The mail said an update is expected at 4pm.
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COP30 is scheduled to end on Friday, but the disruption has cast uncertainty over whether negotiators will be able to finalise pending issues before the deadline.
