Over 100,000 chickens killed in massive poultry farm blaze in Poland

BRUSSELS

A massive fire at a poultry farm in southwestern Poland killed more than 100,000 chickens, local authorities said Friday.

The blaze broke out around 6 pm local time (1600GMT) Thursday in a building housing thousands of hens in the village of Falkowice, TVP World reported, citing emergency services.

Police said around 130,000 hens were kept in the facility, while local media, citing a fire department spokesperson, reported that the number could be as high as 150,000. Some estimates suggested the figure might reach 400,000.

No human casualties were reported. A total of 45 fire units from three counties took part in extinguishing the blaze, police and fire department statements said, adding that the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Photos shared by police on social media showed that the blaze was largely extinguished by Friday morning.

Poultry farming is a key part of Poland's agricultural sector. According to recent EU data, the country is the bloc's second-largest exporter of eggs.