Late Thursday afternoon, a fire briefly broke out near a cluster of temporary pavilions at COP30 in Belem, Brazil, sending a wave of alarms through the Amazon-hosted climate summit. The blaze, under control in roughly 30 minutes, interrupted high-stakes negotiations but left the Chinese pavilion intact, officials confirmed on Friday.
The Chinese delegation issued a statement through Xinhua clarifying that the fire did not originate in the Chinese pavilion. Brazilian Minister of Tourism Celso Sabino told local media that 13 people were treated for smoke inhalation, though no serious injuries were reported.
Helder Barbalho, governor of Para state, said investigators are probing whether a generator malfunction or a short circuit in one of the temporary structures sparked the incident. "We are reviewing all technical data," Barbalho added, noting that safety protocols held strong under pressure.
The fire scare comes as COP30 pushes past its self-imposed Wednesday (November 19) deadline to secure a unified agreement among nearly 200 nations on ramping up climate finance and phasing out fossil fuels. Negotiators have already extended talks into Friday (November 21), the summit's final scheduled day.
Despite the disruption, delegates returned swiftly to the negotiation rooms, underscoring the urgency of global cooperation in the face of escalating climate risks. With over two weeks of intense discussions, the Amazon-hosted summit has highlighted the need for deeper financial commitments, especially for vulnerable regions on the front lines of climate change.
As evening negotiations resume, eyes are on whether the COP30 Presidium can bridge divides on funding targets and timelines for fossil fuel reductions. The world will watch closely as Belem's Amazon backdrop sets the stage for potentially landmark decisions.
Reference(s):
Fire disrupts COP30 climate talks, Chinese pavilion not affected
cgtn.com
