NAKHON RATCHASIMA: About half of some 100 animals, comprising fighting cocks and dogs, were killed after a pick-up truck in which they were being delivered to clients caught fire on the Mitrapap highway in Non Sung district of this northeastern province on Saturday night, police said.
Non Sung police, firefighters from the Don Wai Municipality and volunteers of a rescue unit rushed to a spot near an intersection in tambon Don Wai after being informed of the incident, which occurred at about 8.30pm.
The pick-up truck was engulfed in flames when they arrived at the scene. The firefighters sprayed water on the burning vehicle and were able to put out the fire in 30 minutes.
Passakorn Thuanchanad, 26, the owner and driver of the pick-up, said he was delivering about 100 animals, comprising dogs and fighting cocks, from Bangkok to clients in the Northeast who ordered them online. It was not immediately clear why and for what purpose the dogs were being delivered.
While nearing the intersection, he stopped the vehicle on the roadside after noticing a smell of something burning and found the rear of the pickup was already in flames. He was able to remove some of the cages containing the animals from the vehicle, saving the lives of about half of them.
He estimated the damage to be about 100,000 baht as the prices of the fighting cocks ranged from 1,000 to 20,000 baht each. He believed the fire started from a ventilation fan fitted on the enclosing structure of the pick-up.
Police were investigating to establish the actual cause of the fire.