Climate talk halted as huge fire breaks out at COP30

BREAKING: Delgates were ordered to evacuate as a fire broke out at COP30 earlier today in the pavilion area.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Videos have just surfaced online showing huge red flames piercing the roof as people ran around in panic while security staff frantically blew their whistles to order people to evacuate. 

In the video many bystanders stayed to film the scene as people pushed past them holding fire extinguishers. 

Environmental campaigner, Verel Rodrigues, who was at the scene, told The Conference Corner that "when the fire broke out, there was no audible alarm, only security rushing people out. It spread really quickly".

Over the past week temperatures have been hitting 30°C, with a peak of 32° C today. 

"Inside the COP venue it’s been extremely hot. Delegates have been using hand fans just to stay cool" said Rodrigues, "The Blue Zone is a temporary structure with cooling in place but no real airtightness, and much of the interior is draped in cloth - the same material you can see burning in today’s footage".

The global climate conference is set to close its doors tomorrow after two weeks of meetings and debate.

"It’s a tragic moment on one of the most important days of negotiations. The symbolism is hard to ignore - the world is on fire, and now COP30 is literally on fire too", Rodrigues added.

huge fire breaks out at COP30