On Thursday, November 20th, the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil was forced to evacuate due to a fire. Officials stated that the fire is now under control, but it remains unclear whether the delegates can immediately return to continue negotiations.
Brazil’s Minister of Tourism told the media at the venue that the fire has been brought under control and no one has been injured. However, it is uncertain if the delegates will be able to return to the area where the summit negotiations are held on the same day or on Friday.
The summit organizers also confirmed that the fire has been brought under control and added that the Brazilian fire department has ordered the evacuation of all areas of the summit.
The United Nations climate agency stated that the fire department will conduct safety inspections, and the latest updates are expected to be announced later in the afternoon.
The COP30 summit in Belém, located in the Amazon city, was scheduled to last for two weeks and was originally set to conclude on Friday. However, as nearly 200 countries attending failed to reach an agreement on Wednesday on issues including increasing climate financing and phasing out fossil fuels.
On Thursday, when the fire alarm suddenly sounded, delegates from various countries, observers, and media reporters rushed towards the exits with their belongings. The police set up barriers in the fire area, preventing anyone from approaching.
Videos from the scene showed flames shooting up and thick smoke billowing from the venue. The conference center is situated on the former site of an airport.
Since the opening earlier this month, the summit has sparked protests multiple times, demanding climate action and forest protection. These protests at times disrupted the negotiations.
(This article is based on a report from Reuters)