Fire at famous Bangkok market kills 1,000 animals

YEREVAN, JUNE 11, ARMENPRESS. Around 1,000 animals were killed in a fire in Bangkok's famous open-air Chatuchak market early Tuesday, gutting nearly 100 shops, BBC reports.

Birds, dogs, cats and snakes were burnt to death in their cages in the pet zone, which also included rats, pythons and geckos. The fire damaged most of the 118 shops in the pet zone, which covers about 1,400 sq metres (15,000 sq feet), according to a preliminary inspection.

The blaze was started by an electrical short circuit, authorities said, adding that no human casualties or injuries have been reported,

According to BBC, 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.

With tens of thousands of shops crowding narrow lanes, Chatuchak is one of South East Asia's biggest markets. It's also the largest and best-known of Thailand's weekend markets. It claims to draw nearly 200,000 tourists every Saturday and Sunday.