Hundreds of animals killed in Dallas shopping centre fire
The creatures, mostly small birds, perished due to smoke inhalation.
A fire that broke out at a shopping centre in Dallas has killed more than 500 animals, most of which were small birds, authorities said.
The 579 animals in the pet shop at Plaza Latina in the north-west of the city in Texas died from smoke inhalation, Dallas Fire and Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said in a statement.
The flames from the fire never reached the animals. Chickens, hamsters, two dogs and two cats also died, Mr Evans said.
The blaze took about two hours and as many as 45 firefighters to extinguish on Friday, Mr Evans added.
“While DFR personnel did search and attempt rescue, all animals in the shop unfortunately perished due to smoke inhalation,” he said.
No people were injured in the fire. The structure of the large, one-story shopping centre was severely damaged, including a partially collapsed roof.
The centre includes multiple small businesses and was described on its Facebook page as “a place where people can go to eat, and buy all sorts of Latin goods and services”.
A post on the page in Spanish asked for prayers for the families who work there.
The cause of the fire was not immediately determined and remains under investigation.
