Chaos as huge fire erupts at venue of COP30 summit
Parts of the venue for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belem were being evacuated on Thursday following reports of a fire.
Fire alarms sounded shortly after 2pm local time, followed by chaos at the venue. Delegates, observers and journalists grabbed their bags and belongings and ran for the exits.
Police lined up as a barrier to prevent anyone from nearing the area, while a siren pealed in the background.
In an interview with Nation, Benard Mwinzi, a climate journalist attending the summit, said fire marshals moved swiftly to guide attendees out of the venue as smoke rose from the area near the Africa Pavilion, where the blaze is suspected to have been triggered by an electrical fault, according to Zimbabwean climate expert Kudakwashe Manjonjo who was attending a convening nearby.
"Manjonjo narrated to me that the fire started near the Africa pavilion," Mwinzi said.
Security personnel from the United Nations sealed off the complex, preventing re-entry while firefighters battled the blaze.
The fire is said to have been burning for nearly an hour, with crews still working to bring it under control.
Mohamed Adow, an attendee and director of Power Shift Africa, said he regretted the incident and the fright it caused.
"No one comes to a global climate summit expecting sirens and smoke, yet here we are."
However, he noted that it was contained swiftly.
"What could have spiralled into a disaster was contained in minutes thanks to the swift, disciplined work of the security teams and marshals on site."
Brazil's tourism minister told reporters at the venue that the fire was under control and no one was hurt.
Additional report by Reuters
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