BANGKOK — A fire broke out on Wednesday morning at a shopping mall zoo where animal rights activists have been trying to shut down for years.
The incident took place at Pata Zoo, on the sixth floor of the Pata Pinklao Department Store, at about 11am, police said. No casualties, either animal or human, were reported as of press time.
Police Lt. Col. Wanchai Pantapat of Bang Yi Khan police said that firefighters took 10 minutes to douse the flames, although the mall was still filled with smoke afterwards.
The fire reportedly broke out at the animal stage show area on the sixth floor. Police said the source of the fire is still under investigation.
The zoo, where a 29-year-old gorilla and other animals were kept, has drawn controversy in recent years due to the accusation that the facility was poorly maintained. Animal rights activists have been calling for the zoo to close down, to no success.
This is a developing story and may be updated without notice.
Here’s our video report on Pata Zoo from July 2019:
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