Fire at popular Bangkok pet market kills hundreds of caged animals

Hundreds of caged animals died after a fire broke out at Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak weekend market on Tuesday.

Among the dead animals were dogs, fish, snakes, birds, rabbits and, reportedly, several exotic species.

The fire erupted near the pet section early in the morning and quickly swept through the market, gutting 118 shops, city officials said, adding that it was brought under control within an hour.

The blaze likely started in a pet dog shop where the owner left the fan on overnight to provide ventilation and cooling for the animals, Bangkok Post quoted a vendor in the market as saying.

A shop owner said she was woken up by the cries of animals above her shop. “Suddenly thick smoke filled the air and made it impossible to breathe,” she told the online news platform Thaiger.

No human casualty has been reported so far.

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt visited the market, one of the most famous in Thailand’s capital, and said they were investigating the cause of the fire.

The city administration said that they were still estimating the extent and cost of the damage but all affected shopkeepers could apply for compensation.

Chatuchak is a major tourist attraction in Bangkok, bringing shoppers from all over the world to browse its hundreds of shops and stalls for items ranging from food and drink to clothing, furniture, plants, books and pets.

Pet vendors in the market have regularly faced accusations of trafficking rare and endangered species like turtles, tortoises and birds.