Fire disrupts UN climate summit in Belem as talks resume with Blue Zone restored but key pavilion area shut for rest of COP30

A fire at the main venue of the UN COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, has left 21 people injured and forced the evacuation of thousands of delegates, even as the core negotiating zone has now resumed operations.

The blaze broke out around 2 PM on Thursday in the Blue Zone, the heavily guarded area that hosts negotiations, country pavilions, the media centre and offices of senior officials. As smoke spread through parts of the complex, delegates and staff moved towards emergency exits and assembly points while Brazilian authorities ordered a full shutdown of the site for safety checks.

According to Brazil’s health authorities, 21 people received medical care following the incident. Twelve of them were discharged soon after treatment, while the remaining patients are being monitored and treated at health facilities in Belém and at a designated referral unit. No fatalities have been reported.

The United Nations Department of Safety and Security oversaw the evacuation of high-level participants. Those present at the venue at the time included UN Secretary-General António Guterres and India’s environment minister Bhupender Yadav, who were evacuated safely along with the Indian delegation and representatives from more than 190 countries attending the summit.

Following inspections, the Brazilian fire department cleared the conference venue for a phased reopening. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has confirmed that full working conditions in the Blue Zone have been restored and formal control of the area returned to the UNFCCC.

However, the pavilion area known as Zone B, which was directly affected by the fire, will remain closed for the rest of the conference. Negotiations and formal sessions are continuing in the other parts of the Blue Zone as COP30 moves into its closing phase, with the summit scheduled to conclude on Friday.