ALBAWABA- A sudden fire ripped through part of the COP30 venue in Belém on Thursday, prompting the emergency evacuation of thousands of delegates and disrupting negotiations just one day before the U.N. climate summit’s scheduled close. No injuries were reported.
The blaze broke out near the China pavilion at the Hangar Convention Centre, a sprawling tented complex built on a former airfield. Flames spread quickly through the exhibition halls, igniting ceiling panels and signage before firefighters contained the incident within half an hour. Videos circulating online showed smoke filling the main corridor and flames piercing the roof as delegates rushed for the exits.
Brazilian fire officials ordered a full-site evacuation for safety inspections, suspending all negotiations, including stalled talks on fossil fuel phase-outs and climate finance. Tourism Minister Celso Sabino said an electrical short was the likely cause, praising emergency crews whose rapid intervention safeguarded the roughly 50,000 attendees from nearly 200 countries.
Partial access to some areas was restored by evening, but core negotiations remain delayed. U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell called for strengthened security measures, citing both the fire and recent protest-related breaches. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promised a full investigation, saying Brazil would “not allow this setback to derail the summit’s mission.”
The disruption adds pressure to an already strained COP30, held November 11–22 in the Amazon gateway city. Brazil, hosting for the first time since assuming the COP presidency from the U.A.E., has centered the agenda on Amazon protection, Indigenous rights, and a proposed $1 trillion annual climate finance package.
