6,000 chickens die in Dungannon farm fire

Around 6,000 chickens have been killed in a fire that engulfed a farm building in Dungannon.

The blaze at the property on the Crosscavanagh Road on the outskirts of the town was reported shortly after 10.30pm last night.

Eight fire appliances attended the scene.

Firefighters battled the flames for more than three and a half hours

A spokesman for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it was believed the fire had started accidentally.

"Firefighters worked hard in challenging conditions to prevent the fire spreading and used three jets to extinguish the blaze," he said.

"Approximately 6,000 chickens were killed in the incident."

The fire was extinguished at around 2.30am today. It comes a week after 2,000 pigs died in a blaze at a farm in Kilkee, Co Down.