Thousand Of Animals Killed In Thailand Market Fire, Groups Call For Crackdown On The Sale Of Wildlife

(Photo : Getty Images/CHANAKARN LAOSARAKHAM/AFP )

Animal welfare experts have demanded a crackdown on the trade in wildlife in Thailand in the wake of the most well-known outdoor market in Bangkok losing over 1,000 animals to fire in the pet zone.

Chatuchak Market Fire

Around 1,300 square meters of the Chatuchak Weekend Market were destroyed by the fire, which started early on Tuesday morning and claimed the lives of puppies, cats, fish, snakes, swans, cockatoos, and rabbits housed in cages.

A preliminary investigation indicates that the fire, which destroyed about 118 stores, was started by an electrical malfunction, according to police superintendent Phuwadon Ounpho.

According to the Chatuchak District Office, the fire was extinguished on Tuesday at 4:10 local time, thirty minutes after it started.

Images on the internet displayed large areas burned and cages scorched. Some appear to have been physically incapacitated.

Affected store owners may register for compensation, according to officials, who are currently in the process of evaluating the cost of damage.

A shop owner named Meecha recount her tight escape, saying she was awakened by the sounds of animals crying in the attic above her store.

"It was impossible to breathe when thick smoke suddenly filled the air," Meecha recalled as she scrambled through a window to safety.

It is unknown how many of the market's store owners were there when the fire broke out, however some of them do live there.

Shoppers from all over the world visit the vast weekend market, which is a significant tourist attraction, to peruse its hundreds of stores and stalls offering everything from food and drink to apparel, furniture, plants, books, and pets.

The market has already experienced fires. A fashion area fire in 2013 destroyed at least twenty stores.

Shame Of Bangkok

Conservationists have accused the market's pet area of selling endangered species and housing animals in subpar conditions. In the past, vendors have denied breaching any laws.

The Save Elephant Foundation's founder, Lek Chailert, stated that Tuesday's fire highlighted the necessity of enhancing animal care and controlling breeding.

"I call on the government to respond transparently and implement measures to regulate the breeding and sale of wild animals in markets. There must be clear laws governing international animal trade and protecting animal welfare in Thailand," she said.

The Friends of Wildlife Foundation's founder and director, Edwin Wick, called the market "a shame on the city of Bangkok."

He added that for far too long, it has been permitted to continue selling animals in an immoral and frequently unlawful manner. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration is being urged by his group to act quickly and forbid this establishment from selling any animals, particularly wild animals.

Thailand often conducts operations with the goal of putting a stop to the illegal wildlife trafficking and has severe punishments for those who engage in it. Infractions carry a maximum four-year jail sentence or a fine of 40,000 baht ($1,000).

Conservationists, however, assert that many of the traffickers evade jail time because of their ties to powerful members of the armed forces or administration.