Around 2,400 pigs have died in a fire at a farm in Iowa, United States. The fire broke out late Monday night and continued into Tuesday morning, destroying a barn near the town of Sibley.
According to the Sibley Fire Department, the building was already destroyed when firefighters arrived at the scene.
Several fire departments responded to the blaze, including crews from Ashton, Little Rock and George. Firefighters also worked to stop the flames from spreading to a nearby cornfield.
The pigs were trapped inside the barn and had no way to escape when the fire broke out.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Thousands of animals trapped in barn fires
The deaths of the 2,400 pigs have once again raised concerns about fire safety in buildings where farm animals are kept.
Pigs kept in large farming facilities are often housed indoors, with no way to escape if a fire breaks out. When flames spread quickly through a building, thousands of animals can die before firefighters can reach them.
According to the Animal Welfare Institute, barn fires kill hundreds of thousands of farm animals in the United States each year.
Despite the risks, automatic sprinkler systems are not universally required in buildings housing farm animals in the US.
Animal welfare organisations have long called for stronger fire safety measures, including better fire detection, sprinkler systems and emergency plans to protect animals.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theanimalreader.com
