Fire breaks out at Brazil's COP30 Climate venue

Belem [Brazil], November 21 : A massive fire broke out inside a pavilion at the COP30 venue in Belem, Brazil, on Thursday (local time), according to The New York Times.

The fire occurred in a pavilion inside a convention hall where more than 50,000 diplomats, journalists, and activists had gathered for the global climate summit.

No injuries have been reported so far, and the cause of the fire has not yet been disclosed.

The blaze began around 2 p.m. and filled the convention centre with smoke, forcing delegates to evacuate. Initially, an official from the Summit Presidency said the fire had been contained for about 30 minutes, The New York Times reported.

By 3 p.m., people started returning to the convention centre, but officials escorted them back out, saying evacuation was still in progress. At 4:20 p.m., the COP Presidency announced that the fire had been contained "with limited damage."

Thousands of people from nearly 200 countries have arrived in Belem to debate and agree on ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are dangerously heating the planet in the COP 30 summit.

Last week, the summit venue came under criticism after torrential rain leaked into the meeting spaces, dripping on delegates. There were also complaints of food shortages, and air conditioners also continued to struggle from the high heat and humidity.

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