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Fire destroys 100+ shops at Chatuchak Pet Zone, killing hundreds of animals
The blaze hit the market's animal stalls early Tuesday and destroyed stock across more than 100 shops.
How we reported this
A fire that began before dawn Tuesday tore through the pet stalls at Chatuchak Weekend Market, killing hundreds of caged puppies, rabbits and other animals. Officials from the Bangkok government said the flames started in the ornamental fish zone of the adjacent Srisomrat Market around 4:00am and spread quickly into the main pet area.
Why the loss hits home
Chatuchak draws shoppers from across Thailand and overseas every weekend, and its pet section has long been a regular stop for families and traders who keep birds, small mammals and fish on site. When the fire cut through more than 100 of those shops, it removed both live stock and the daily income those stalls provide to vendors who work the same narrow lanes year-round.
Local detail shows the damage stayed inside the pet zone rather than reaching the larger clothing and food sections that line the market's main paths. Vendors who set up near the fish stalls described the smoke moving fast between the rows of stacked cages, leaving little time to move animals before the flames reached them.
Scale of the damage
The Bangkok government reported that the fire affected the ornamental fish area first and then crossed into the bigger Chatuchak pet section. Hundreds of animals in cages were lost, according to the account carried by the South China Morning Post citing Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. No other sections of the market were listed as damaged in the initial reports.
Because the market reopens on weekends, traders in the pet zone now face the task of clearing debris and restocking before the next rush of visitors. Authorities have not yet released a timeline for when the affected stalls can reopen, but the focus remains on securing the site and supporting those who lost their animals and equipment.
Shoppers planning a visit this weekend should check with individual stalls before heading out, as some vendors may still be assessing what they can bring back to the market in the coming days.