Malaysia: A Disastrous fire erupted at the famous Chatuchak Pet Market in Bangkok early yesterday morning which burned down around 118 shops and killed more than 1,000 pet animals on June 11th, 2024. The pet zone within the Chatuchak Market is a hub for pet shops and ornamental fish which is divided into 118 stalls with mezzanine storage and caretaker quarters.
The firefighters hurried to the location, accompanied by more than 10 firetrucks and volunteers from the Poh Teck Tung Foundation, after someone reported the fire at about 4 am, according to a Facebook post by Stay in Thailand.
Shop Owner Suspects Electrical Short Circuit
Stay in Thailand wrote, “The fire rapidly spread, engulfing the entire area. Firefighters took more than an hour to control the blaze.”One of the shop employees said that she was sleeping on the mezzanine of the shop when she heard noises from various pets and saw the area filled with smoke, making it hard to breathe. To escape, she jumped out of the window. The shop had rare birds, including cockatoos worth 30,000 baht (RM3,851.04) each.
Initially, the fire started, known for selling small breed dogs including Poodles, Shih Tzus, and Pomeranians. The shop owner suggested that the cause of the fire was an electrical short circuit, connecting it to leaving the fans on overnight for the dogs without any employees present.”
Over 1,000 Animals Lost Their Lives
Unfortunately, the fire ended the lives of more than 1,000 animals including ornamental fish, cats, dogs, and exotic animals like swans, birds, and monkeys. Reportedly, The employees sleeping on the mezzanines had no injuries.
The total financial damages are expected to reach millions of bah. The Chatuchak District Office has set up a registration table for shop owners to record their losses, while forensic officers are still investigating the cause of the fire.
