COP30 evacuation after fire

The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Climate Change Conference was evacuated due to a fire in the venue in Belém, Brazil.

BBC reporters saw fire and smoke rising from the pavilion area before being rushed outside Where fire trucks speed by.

The Brazilian government said the fire was now under control and no one was injured.

Security officials were still telling people to evacuate from more outdoor areas, and a BBC reporter saw another ambulance driving towards the venue’s entrance.

Orange flames burned a hole in the sheet covering the site, which is located in a former airport. One video shows a man putting out a fire with a fire extinguisher before running away.

It’s unclear what caused the fire. One witness told the BBC he believed fire was the cause.

Now, hundreds of people sit outside on the floor or on plastic chairs amid the heat and humidity.

A woman in a wheelchair was taken away, but it was unclear whether this was related to the fire.

A member of the British delegation told the BBC that many national delegations were forced to take shelter under the roofs of petrol stations. He said the fire halted negotiations.

The United Nations, which hosts the COP climate meeting, said fire brigades were inspecting the venue to assess safety and that the summit had been temporarily taken over by Brazilian authorities.

Thousands of people attend UN climate talks, including members of delegations from around the world.

Nearly 200 countries are trying to agree on how to make progress against climate change.

The BBC has asked the United Nations for more information on the cause and impact of the fires.