Talks at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil have been disrupted after a fire broke out in the venue, triggering an evacuation just as negotiators were hunkering down to try to land a deal to strengthen international climate efforts.
Officials said the fire, which erupted at one of the country exhibition pavilions, had been brought under control with 13 people treated for smoke inhalation.
"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 organisers 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."
Summit organisers added that Brazilian fire officials ordered the evacuation of the summit's entire premises.
The summit in the Amazon city of Belém was initially scheduled to wrap up on Friday but it missed a self-imposed Wednesday deadline to secure agreement among the nearly 200 countries present on issues including plans to phase out oil, gas and coal.
Developing countries are also pushing for a substantial increase in climate adaptation finance from industrialised countries, arguing that stronger support is essential as they face worsening storms, droughts, wildfires and floods.
The fire scare occurred in what is already a hive of activity during the summit's two-week run, interrupting ongoing negotiations inside the venue.
TV footage showed flames and smoke inside the venue, a conference centre on the site of a former airport.
Brazilian tourism minister Celso Sabino told journalists that the fire started near the China Pavilion, which was among several pavilions set up for events on the sidelines of the climate talks.
A siren sent delegates, observers and journalists running for the exits with their belongings as police lined up as a barrier to prevent anyone from nearing the area where the fire was reported. Source: AAP / Fraga Alves/EPA
He said nearby pavilions include many of the African pavilions and one aimed at youth.
Para state governor Helder Barbalho told local news outlet G1 that a generator failure or a short circuit in a booth may have started the fire.
Organisers said the summit venue would not reopen before 9am AEDT.
Brazil circulated a draft deal among governments on Thursday that did not include a roadmap on transitioning away from fossil fuels, two negotiators told Reuters, although the document is still being discussed.
Emissions from burning fossil fuels trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere and are by far the biggest contributor to warming.
There are fewer than 48 hours until the scheduled end of the summit to find a consensus, which host nation Brazil has framed as a crucial step to ramping up international climate action and demonstrating that there is broad support to accelerate turning decades of promises and pledges from the COP summits into concrete action.
"One thing is clear, we are down to the wire, and the world is watching Belém," United Nations secretary-general António Guterres said.
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