6,000 chickens killed in fire on Dungannon farm

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

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

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 on Monday.

It comes after at least 2,000 pigs were killed in a fire on a farm in Co Down last week.

The farrowing house at Glenmarshal Pedigree Pig, a shed where sows and their piglets were kept, was destroyed in the blaze..