A fire broke out at the COP30 climate summit in Belem, Brazil, on Thursday, forcing thousands of delegates to evacuate and halting negotiations at a critical moment in the two-week conference. Ironically, the blaze appears to have been caused by electrical equipment, likely a microwave — showing that even a summit dedicated to climate action doesn’t always follow its own rules. The blaze began around 2.00 pm (1700 GMT) in an exhibition pavilion. Security footage later showed flames racing up an internal fabric shell lining the walls and ceiling, burning a hole through the roof as smoke filled the corridors and people ran for the exits shouting “fire!” Firefighters said the incident was brought under control within six minutes. Nineteen people were treated for smoke inhalation

See Full Page