Hundreds of animals died Tuesday after a fire struck Chatuchak Weekend Market, one of the most famous markets in Thailand’s capital.
According to the Bangkok government, the fire was reported early in the morning and quickly swept across over 100 shops in the market’s pet section.
The incident prompted renewed calls for authorities to shut the pet zone, which has long been criticized for the animals’ poor living conditions and has reportedly led to high rates of disease and death
Bangkok authorities said no one was injured during the incident but “lots of pet animals” were affected. It said the damaged area is estimated to be around 1,400 square meters (about 15,000 square feet).
Dogs, cats, rabbits, snakes, birds, fish, and chickens were among the animals affected, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s emergency unit 911.
An electrical short circuit started the blaze, authorities said
“When I got here, everything was gone, all burned down,” says Amporn Wannasut, a shop owner who rushed to the market after being alerted to the fire.
“I couldn’t do anything because it was dark inside as well. I couldn’t help them at all. They were all gone.”
The 42-year-old sold turtles, pythons, and king snakes, among other reptiles, as pets.
“I don’t even know what to do next. I think we have to start all over again but I don’t know how,” she adds. “I froze some of the dead snakes so that we can calculate how much [money] we lost.”
According to a preliminary inspection, the fire damaged most of the 118 shops in the pet zone, which covers about 1,400 sq meters (15,000 sq feet).
When the BBC arrived at the market on Tuesday afternoon, shop owners were standing in line to register their requests for compensation. Some of them looked distraught and several were crying.
