More than a thousand exotic animals, reptiles and pets perished in a sprawling market in Thailand's capital Bangkok after a fire ripped through over a hundred shops in the early hours of Tuesday (June 11), authorities said.

Bangkok

Over 1,000 exotic animals perished in a fire at Bangkok's Chatuchak market. The blaze engulfed approximately 14,000 square feet of the market, which is known for its diverse range of exotic animals, such as snakes, spiders, and Siamese fighting fish, along with fashion and accessories.

Vendors faced significant losses, with many dependent on the market for their primary source of income. Sawani Sandi, who sells Siamese fighting fish, expressed her shock and concern over her financial stability following the incident. Firefighters and rescue workers discovered numerous animal carcasses, mangled cages, and damaged shops in the aftermath. Over a hundred shops were destroyed, with authorities indicating an electrical fault as the likely cause of the fire.



Over 1,000 exotic animals perish in Thailand market fire

Over a thousand exotic animals have perished in a market fire in Thailand. The blaze ripped through almost 14,000 square feet of the Chatuchak market in the early hours of Tuesday. It is a popular tourist attraction, best known for its packed shops full of fashion and accessories. Exotic animals such as snake, spiders and Siamese fighting fish were also sold in the market, attracting thousands of visitors each weekend. Adasek says the snakes he sold were trapped in their boxes and couldn't escape. Sawani Sandi, who sells Siamese fighting fish, says her shop was the family's main source of income. Since I learned the news when I got the call, I've been in shock. I feel like I wanted to cry, but there are no tears. I don't know how to react as the school is about to start, then there's the mortgage and the car installments. The earnings from running the shop, raising the betta fish and exporting them were used to pay for all of these things. I have to try and keep myself sane and work out how I'm going to sort out my finances. I also don't know how we'll be compensated. Will they find a new place for us? We're totally blank. Like this month, we've paid the rent, but we don't know what's going to happen next month with no place to sell. Firefighters and rescue workers picked through carcasses, mangled cages, blackened walls and collapsed metal shop roofs. More than a hundred shops were burnt down, according to police. They said an initial inspection suggested that the fire was caused by an electric fault.

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