COP30 attendees in Brazil forced to evacuate pavilion following fire

Officials astatine the clime league accidental the occurrence was contained wrong six minutes, and 13 attendees were treated for fume inhalation.

Sao Paulo, Brazil – Attendees person been forced to evacuate the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known arsenic COP30, aft a occurrence broke retired astatine the venue successful Belem, Brazil.

There were nary injuries successful Thursday’s blaze, according to Brazil’s Tourism Minister Celso Sabino. In a quality league afterwards, helium downplayed the seriousness of the fire.

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“There was a tiny occurrence here, which is imaginable astatine immoderate ample event,” helium told journalists. “This tiny occurrence could hap anyplace connected satellite Earth.”

Organisers reported that the evacuation was “fast” and the occurrence was controlled wrong six minutes, leaving lone insignificant damage.

Thirteen radical were treated for fume inhalation, according to a associated connection from the UN and COP30 leaders.

The affected area, known arsenic the Blue Zone, is expected to stay closed until 8pm section clip (23:00 GMT).

The origin of the occurrence remains unclear. But Helder Barbalho — the politician of the authorities of Para, wherever the acme is taking spot — told the Brazilian transmission GloboNews that authorities judge a generator nonaccomplishment oregon abbreviated circuit mightiness person sparked the incident.

On societal media, Barbalho assured the nationalist that different parts of the COP30 league portion continued to beryllium successful operation.

“We volition find retired what caused it, whether we tin restart enactment present successful the Blue Zone contiguous oregon not,” helium wrote. “The Green Zone is operating normally.”

Reports emerged astir 2pm section clip (17:00 GMT) of flames successful the Blue Zone pavilion, a restricted country for negotiators and accredited media.

Videos connected societal media showed scenes of panic and information officials ordering attendees to exit the venue.

caralho, fogo na zona azul aqui da COP 30. uma loucura de gente correndo. meu deus! pic.twitter.com/ebXubnHwiR

— ralfer (@ralferr) November 20, 2025

Al Jazeera spoke to Fernando Ralfer Oliveira, an autarkic writer who was successful the Blue Zone erstwhile the occurrence broke retired and shared footage of the flames.

“I was successful the large corridor that leads to the gathering rooms erstwhile a commotion of radical started running. I had my telephone successful my manus and instantly started recording,” said Ralfer.

“When I got adjacent to the pavilion, idiosyncratic ran past maine shouting, ‘Fire, fire, fire!’ So I ran a small and managed to grounds that spot of the fire. But astatine that moment, information was already coming towards america successful force, saying ‘Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate.’”

Ralfer and different evacuees were past directed to the COP30’s nutrient tribunal area, located extracurricular the pavilion.

Roughly an hr aft the occurrence broke out, the UN Framework Convention connected Climate Change (UNFCCC), which organises the conference, sent an email to attendees saying that the section occurrence work would behaviour “full information checks” astatine the venue.

They past announced the Blue Zone’s continued closure: “Please enactment that the premises are present nether the authorization of the Host Country and are nary longer considered a Blue Zone.”

The Blue Zone occurrence happened a week aft Brazil responded to the UN’s concerns astir information astatine COP30.

On November 13, Simon Stiell, the enforcement caput with the UNFCCC, sent a missive to Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his government, raising issues ranging from faulty doors to h2o leaks adjacent airy fixtures.

That aforesaid day, the Brazilian authorities published a connection saying that “all UN requests person been met”, including the repositioning and enlargement of constabulary forces betwixt the Blue and Green Zones.