Belem: At least 21 people were injured on Thursday when a fire broke out at the main venue of the ongoing UN COP30 Climate Summit in Belem, Brazil, forcing thousands of delegates and staff to evacuate for safety.

The blaze erupted at around 2 pm in the ‘Blue Zone’, which houses the plenary hall, negotiations, country pavilions, media centre, and offices of high-profile dignitaries.

“…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. “Of 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.”

Twelve patients have already been discharged, while the remainder continue to receive care at local health facilities. Municipal, state, and federal health teams are monitoring the situation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was present at the venue but was promptly evacuated by the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) protection detail. India’s Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who was also inside the Blue Zone, safely exited along with the Indian delegation, a spokesperson told PTI.

Following a comprehensive safety assessment, the UNFCCC confirmed that the venue has been “thoroughly inspected and deemed fully safe.”

“Brazilian authorities have restored all working conditions on the conference premises, secured the post-fire operating permit from the Fire Department and formally returned the area to the UNFCCC,” the secretariat said.

The Blue Zone has now reopened as of 8:40 pm, though the pavilion area (Zone B), which was directly affected by the fire, will remain closed for the remainder of the summit, which concludes 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 live-streamed, and all usual measures to keep parties, observers and media informed of negotiations will continue,” the UNFCCC stated.

Earlier, the UN COP30 Presidency and UNFCCC praised the swift response. “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,” their statement said.

The fire did not affect the ‘Green Zone’, where exhibitions and stalls continue to operate as scheduled.

The UNDSS reported that “security personnel immediately responded using fire extinguishers until firefighters arrived. The fire was fully controlled.” Black smoke from the temporary tent structure could be seen from several kilometres away, and a sudden downpour shortly after the blaze complicated evacuation efforts.

“The UN Secretary-General was present on site and was promptly evacuated by the UNDSS protection detail. A headcount was activated, and all UNSMS organisations have confirmed their personnel are accounted for and well. There are no reports of injuries among UNSMS staff or participants,” the UNDSS said.

Negotiators from more than 190 countries are participating in the annual Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC, which is taking place from 10 to 21 November in Belem, in Brazil’s Amazon region.