More than 2,500 chickens were charred to death in a fire at a poultry farm in Chinnamottur village near Vaniyambadi town, Tirupattur, in the early hours of Saturday.
Police said the poultry farm was set up by S. Dakshinamurthy, 58, seven years ago in his paddy field sprawling three acres. The farm, which comprises six tin sheet-roofed sheds, houses at least 3,000 chickens on an average.
Around 3 a.m. on Saturday, Mr. Dakshinamurthy saw smoke emanating from one of the sheds. Before he could call out for help, the fire flared up and engulfed the entire shed, which is around 300 sq.ft., in the matter of a few minutes.
Though Mr. Dakshinamurthy managed to escape unhurt, over 2,500 chickens were reportedly charred to death and various equipment were destroyed.
Firefighters from Vaniyambadi town rushed to the spot and put out the fire at 4.30 a.m. The fire was restricted to the specific poultry shed alone. Ambulur police registered a case. Initial inquiry revealed that electrical short circuit may have triggered the flare-up. The total loss incurred has been estimated to be around ₹10 lakh.
Further investigation is underway, police said.
