At least 21 people were injured after a massive fire erupted at the main venue of the ongoing UN COP30 Climate Summit in Brazil’s Belém on Thursday, triggering panic and forcing thousands of delegates to evacuate to safety.
The blaze broke out around 2 pm in the summit’s ‘Blue Zone’ — the high-security area that hosts all key meetings, negotiations, country pavilions, the media centre, and offices of top dignitaries, including the main plenary hall.
As news of the fire spread, panic ensued, with attendees rushing out through all exit gates to safety.
Authorities temporarily shut down the venue for a full safety inspection and reopened it after more than six hours, at 8:40 pm, excluding the country pavilions — the section where the fire originated, a news agency said.
According to reports, 13 people were treated for smoke inhalation at the venue.
The local fire service said it was probably caused by electrical equipment, likely a microwave, and was controlled within six minutes.
“According to updated data as of 6 pm this Thursday, 21 people have received medical care as a result of the fire that affected the Blue Zone of the event,” the Brazilian Ministry of Health said in a statement.
Of the total cases, 19 are related to smoke inhalation and two to anxiety episodes following the incident. There have been no reports of individuals sustaining burn injuries from the flames, it added.
India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav was also present with the Indian delegation inside the Blue Zone when the fire broke out, but he and other officials safely exited the venue, a spokesperson of the ministry said.
Negotiators from more than 190 countries have gathered for the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC. The summit is taking place at Belem in the Amazon region from November 10 to 21.
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In a mail to all participants, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said that following a comprehensive safety assessment, the venue has been thoroughly inspected and deemed fully safe.
