Massive fire interrupts critical COP30 summit in Brazil

BOGOTA, Colombia

A massive fire forced the evacuation of the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belem on Thursday, officials confirmed.

The blaze ignited inside a pavilion within the convention center, where over 50,000 diplomats, journalists, and activists have gathered for the global climate talks.

The fire began shortly before 2.30 pm local time in a tent located in the "Blue Zone," the area administered by the United Nations that houses national pavilions and negotiation rooms.

Social media footage captured people fleeing from smoke and flames as security personnel urgently called for immediate evacuation. Plumes of smoke rapidly filled the central hall, where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had delivered remarks just minutes earlier. The intense fire burned through the roof, allowing the flames to spread to adjacent structures.

Firefighters dispatched from a nearby station reacted swiftly, successfully bringing the flames under control within minutes.

Brazilian Tourism Minister Celso Sabino shortly confirmed that there were no reported injuries.

“Fortunately, no one was injured, thanks to the prompt action of the security teams and the Para Fire Department,” he said.

Sabino later suggested that the probable cause of the fire was a short circuit.

The lead-up to the summit had been overshadowed by serious logistical challenges in Belem, stemming from the city's limited infrastructure and soaring accommodation costs.

Dismissing concerns about the summit's future, Sabino told reporters that "this is something that could happen anywhere on the planet.”

“There is no possibility of canceling the summit, which is proving to be a success.”

The summit, held at the gateway to the Brazilian Amazon, was originally scheduled to conclude on Friday, but negotiators missed a Wednesday deadline to secure a consensus among the nearly 200 participating countries discussing roadmaps for energy transition, the elimination of fossil fuels, and climate adaptation agreements.