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According to SCMP, Tivakorn Prongseng, the police inspector investigating the incident, said the fire is believed to have originated in the aquarium section of Srisomrat Market, near Chatuchak, at around 4 a.m. (local time), and quickly spread to more than 100 shops in the pet section of Chatuchak Market.
The BBC and the Bangkok Post reported that many birds, cats, snakes, and pythons were burned to death in their cages. Thai authorities said the fire broke out at 4:10 a.m., destroying all 118 stalls at Sri Somra Market – considered the pet section of Chatuchak Market.
More than 10 water trucks were deployed, and firefighters took about half an hour to extinguish the blaze. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire.
There were no reports of human casualties, but Thai media reported that the fire killed thousands of animals, including puppies, fish, snakes, birds, and rabbits, which were confined in cages and inside shops.
With tens of thousands of shops crammed into narrow streets, Chatuchak is one of the largest markets in Southeast Asia. It is also Thailand's largest and most famous weekend market, attracting nearly 200,000 tourists every Saturday and Sunday.
The pet section at Chatuchak Market is open all week, occupying four of the 27 sections and being the most controversial trading area. It is regularly inspected and criticized for the poor living conditions of the pets, leading to high rates of illness and death.
