BANGKOK: A fire ripped through pet shops next to Bangkok’s famed Chatuchak market early Tuesday ( Jun 11 ), killing caged dogs, cats, birds and snakes and damaging more than 100 stalls, police said.
The fire is believed to have started in the ornamental fish zone in Srisomrat Market, adjacent to the bigger Chatuchak, around 4am ( 5am, Singapore time ), according to Tivakorn Prongseng, a police inspector investigating the case.
The flame spread to more than 100 booths across about 1, 300 sq m, he told AFP.
Many caged creatures were found dead at the market, which belongs to the State Railway of Thailand, he claimed, despite no reports of people deaths.
The fire was extinguished by 6am ( 7am, Singapore time ) and the cause is being investigated, Tivakorn added.
Local media reported that lots of animals perished in the flames, but Tivakorn claimed it was too soon to identify the number of victims.