Thousands of participants at the COP30 climate conference in the Brazilian city of Belém were forced to evacuate after a major fire broke out in one of the pavilions. BBC correspondents covering the summit saw flames, plumes of smoke, and fire trucks arriving at the summit venue, a former airport. Some participants left the summit and returned to their hotels. Shortly after reports of the fire spread, UN summit organizers stated that the fire was under control and had caused “limited damage.” The cause of the fire is unknown. However, one eyewitness told the BBC that he believed it was caused by an electrical short circuit. When the fire broke out, summit participants were wrapping up talks and trying to agree on measures countries should take to combat global climate change. “There’s panic, everyone’s running, it’s a very dramatic situation. UN security is ordering us to leave,” said BBC climate editor Justin Rowlatt. The UN reported that firefighters are inspecting the area to assess its safety. Thousands of people, including delegations from approximately 200 countries, are participating in climate talks organized by the UN.
2025-11-21