BELÉM, Brazil — Delegates were evacuated from the COP30 climate summit Thursday after a fire broke out in the venue where negotiators are at a critical phase in trying to work out a deal for addressing the causes and impacts of the Earth’s warming.
The fire caused no injuries, organizers of summit said, adding that it occurred around 2 p.m. local time (noon EST) in the “pavilion” area that contains displays and meeting spaces for countries and groups attending the talks.
The U.N. said later that the blaze “has been contained with limited damage.” It said the venue would reopen sometime after 8 p.m. local time.
“Thank God the fire did not spread,” said Reginaldo Santos, a member of the summit’s technical support team. He said that “we were having a lecture in my booth, and we only heard the rush, everyone running, running, and then someone shouted, ‘It’s fire, it is fire, fire.'”
