This screen grab taken from AFPTV video footage shows emergency crews battling a fire that broke out at a pavilion inside the venue of the COP30 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Belem, Para state, Brazil, on November 20, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AFP A large fire broke out in the main area of COP 30 venue in this harbour city Thursday (November 20, 2025) afternoon local time. No injuries were reported and the cause of the blaze remained unknown as of Friday. This is the first time in its 30-year history that an accident has impeded proceedings of the annual climate summit, or the Conference of Parties (COP). There were an estimated 56,000 registered delegates at the conference, though the actual number of attendees at the event on Thursday is unclear. “Earlier today, a fire broke out in the Blue Zone of the COP30 venue in Belém. The fire department and UN security officers responded swiftly, and the fire was controlled in approximately six minutes. People were evacuated safely,” the COP30 Presidency said in a statement. “Thirteen individuals were treated on site for smoke inhalation. Their condition is being monitored, and appropriate medical support has been provided.”
Published: November 20, 2025 5:59 pm
Source: The Hindu — Read original