Brazil: Fire at COP30 venue injures 21, forces evacuation of thousands

At least 21 people were injured in a fire which broke out at the main venue of the ongoing UN COP30 Climate Summit in Brazils Belem forcing thousands of people to run for safety The fire broke out at around 2 pm on Thursday at the Blue Zone where all meetings negotiations country pavilions media centre and offices of all highprofile dignitaries are housed including the main plenary hallAs soon as news of the fire spread people ran out of all exit gates for safety The authorities closed the venue for a thorough safety inspection and reopened it after more than six hours at 840 pm sans the country pavilions the area which caught fire according to updated data as of 6 pm this Thursday 21 people have received medical care as a result of the fire that affected the Blue Zone of the event the Brazilian Ministry of Health said in a statementOf the total cases 19 are related to smoke inhalation and two to anxiety episodes following the incident There have been no reports of individuals sustaining burn injuries from the flames it added Patients were promptly assisted and 12 have already been discharged The remaining individuals are receiving appropriate care in health facilities in Belem and in a designated referral unit for such cases the statement saidMunicipal state and federal health teams continue to monitor and follow up on the medical assistance and health status of those affected it added It is learnt that UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres was present at the venue and promptly evacuated by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security UNDSS protection detailIndias Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav was also present with the Indian delegation inside the Blue Zone when the fire broke out but he and other officials safely exited the venue a spokesperson of the ministry told PTI In a mail to all participants the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC said that following a comprehensive safety assessment the venue has been thoroughly inspected and deemed fully safeBrazilian authorities have restored all working conditions on the conference premises secured the postfire operating permit from the Fire Department and formally returned the area to the UNFCCC it added The Blue Zone has now been reinstated to full operational status and has been reopened as of 840 pm All accredited COP participants are now able to access the COP30 venue in the usual waysHowever the pavilion area Zone B directly affected by the fire will remain inaccessible for the remainder of the conference which is scheduled to conclude on Friday There will be no plenary activity this evening All plenary sessions tomorrow will be open to all parties and observers and will be fully livestreamed and all usual measures to keep parties observers and media informed of negotiations will continue the mail statedCancellation of the days remaining businesses earlier created uncertainty over the timely completion of the summit with crucial negotiations still needed to hammer out a final roadmap ahead of the summits last day on Friday In a joint statement the UN COP30 Presidency which is organising the summit and UNFCCC said We still have substantial work ahead and we trust that delegates will return to the negotiations in a spirit of solidarity and determination to ensure a successful outcome for this COPThe two parties in their earlier statement said that the fire department and UN security officers responded swiftly and the fire was controlled in approximately six minutes People were evacuated safely As a precaution the Brazilian Government and the UNFCCC have jointly decided to temporarily close the Blue Zone while the fire department carries out a comprehensive safety assessment it had saidThe fire did not affect the Green Zone where various stalls and exhibitions have been organised and remains open with activities continuing as scheduled it added Meanwhile UNDSS in a Flash Report to its members immediately after the incident said that the fire quickly spread to decorative textiles covering the sides and roof of the structureSecurity personnel immediately responded using fire extinguishers until firefighters arrived The fire was fully controlled it added During the incident some panic ensued as people began leaving the area UNDSS uniformed personnel provided guidance and initiated an orderly evacuation The UN SecretaryGeneral was present on site and was promptly evacuated by the UNDSS protection detailA headcount was activated and all UNSMS United Nations Security Management System organisations have confirmed their personnel are accounted for and well There are no reports of injuries among UNSMS staff or participants The affected area remains closed at this time the report said Immediately after the fire the UNFCCC secretariat issued an urgent advisory and asked all to evacuate the venueThe host country Brazil took over the entire venue which temporarily ceased to be a UN site until it was reopened The Host Country Fire Chief has ordered the evacuation of the entire premises The Fire Service will conduct full safety checks UNFCCC had said in an update bulletin The premises are now under the authority of the Host Country and are no longer considered a Blue Zone it addedHuge clouds of black smoke billowed from the temporary tent erected to hold the annual global event for setting roadmaps for the protection of the earth by preventing climate change The smoke could be seen from several kilometres away Minutes after the fire the area was lashed with a spell of heavy rains creating a difficult situation for thousands of attendees who had come out to the open from the venueNegotiators from more than 190 countries have gathered here for the annual Conference of Parties COP to the UNFCCC The COP30 summit is taking place in the Brazilian city of Belem in the Amazon region from November 10 to 21This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts 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