MONROVIA, Nov. 20 -- A fire outbreak near the Liberian Pavilion at the COP30 climate conference in Brazil caused a moment of alarm on Thursday as delegates were forced to evacuate part of the venue while emergency teams moved in to contain the blaze.

A source attending the conference confirmed the incident from the scene and described how the fire began just a few meters from the Liberian section of the exhibition area as delegates were settling in for a UN Women side event.

The source said the origin of the fire remains unclear but noted that electrical complications may have played a role. The Liberian Pavilion had reportedly been dealing with electrical challenges since the opening of the conference due to a mismatch between the 220 ...