The United Nations climate change talks in Brazil, COP30, have been halted due to a fire breaking out inside the venue in Belém.
According to the BBC, its journalists saw flames and smoke in the pavilion area before they were rushed outside where fire engines raced past. The Brazilian government says that the fire is now under control and that no-one has been injured.
Flames burned a hole through the sheeting that covers the venue, which is in a former aerodrome.
The cause of the blaze is currently unknown, though one eyewitness told the BBC it may have been an electrical fire.
Hundreds of attendees are now sitting on the ground or on plastic chairs outside amid high heat and humidity.
A woman was transported in a wheelchair, though it is unclear whether this was related to the fire.
Several country delegations were forced to take shelter under a petrol station roof, according to a UK delegation member, who added that the fire has disrupted ongoing negotiations.
The UN, which organises the COP climate change conferences, said firefighters are inspecting the venue to ensure safety, and Brazilian authorities have temporarily taken control of the summit site.
Thousands of delegates from nearly 200 countries are attending the climate talks, which aim to advance international action on climate change.
Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retal...
Russia may seek compensation from Armenia if Yerevan changes the terms of the South Caucasus Railway (SCR) agreement without mutual consent, Russian E...
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have welcomed Jordan's proposal to convene a meeting of Arab and Islamic countries to address the worsening situation in Pal...
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto prefecture has risen to 30, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Thursday, as water and power shortages left survivors exposed to extreme summer heat.
Three firefighters have died as wildfires continue to burn across Greece, with Crete facing a second day of intense blazes driven by strong winds. The fires come as Europe battles destructive wildfires fuelled by extreme heat and drought.
An impending "super" El Niño is likely to inflict a combined $10 billion to $20 billion hit on affected African countries and trigger mass migration from hard-hit areas, the African Development Bank's (AfDB) top climate expert said.
Brazil has banned the production and sale of foie gras, the French delicacy made from fattened duck or goose liver. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed a law late Thursday aimed at ending force-feeding in the country's foie gras industry and stopping imports.
At least 82 people have died after heavy rain triggered devastating floods across northeastern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan this week, with widespread damage to homes, farmland and infrastructure.
Communities in Spain's northwestern Galicia region are bringing back native livestock, including the hardy Cachena breed, to help reduce the risk of devastating wildfires while restoring ecosystems.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment