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The 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, descended into chaos on Thursday after a fire outbreak triggered a massive stampede, forcing the abrupt suspension of all negotiations and evacuation of thousands of delegates.
Graphic Online’s correspondent, Timothy Ngnenbe, reporting from the scene, revealed that the blaze allegedly started at the China Pavilion within the Blue Zone and rapidly spread to nearby structures, including the Africa Pavilion, sending delegates fleeing in panic.
Security officials immediately halted all conference sessions as firefighters and emergency teams battled to contain the fire. Delegates were ordered to evacuate through the Green Zone — the section that hosted most high-level sessions.
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The sudden evacuation created chaotic scenes, with thousands of participants sprinting toward emergency exits in a desperate attempt to escape the spreading fire.
Volunteers stationed across the grounds rushed to assist, setting up makeshift relief points and distributing water to exhausted delegates running for safety.
Even after being evacuated, many delegates were forced to walk nearly an hour to reach COP30-branded buses assigned to ferry them to safer locations across Belém.
The dramatic incident has thrown the future of COP30 into uncertainty. With the final day of the conference scheduled for November 21, it remains unclear whether proceedings will continue.
The abrupt shutdown creates new complications for climate negotiators. Prior to the incident, entrenched positions among negotiating blocs had already signalled a likely extension of talks, with several “thorny issues” unresolved.
Now, the fire-induced disruption threatens to derail the conference’s momentum entirely.
As of press time, the Brazilian COP Presidency had not released an official statement regarding the cause of the fire or the next steps for COP30.
Delegates and observers around the world are anxiously awaiting clarity on the fate of negotiations that were expected to shape global climate action for years to come.
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