Around 1,300 pigs at a farm in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam have been killed in a big fire, resulting in a total loss of some US$425,000, local authorities reported.

The huge damage happened when a blaze broke out at the farm, located in the province’s Yen Thanh District, at around 11:00 pm on Wednesday, the district administration said on the following day. 

The farm owners, Nguyen Thi Tuyet and her husband, were not at home at that time and they received the bad news by phone from their workers.

They immediately rushed to the farm, not far from home, and witnessed it collapsing in the fierce blaze that was covering their herd of pigs of about 1,300 heads, including 600 having reached 20kg each and the rest from 45 - 50kg each. 

The total value of those pigs was estimated at over VND2 billion (nearly $85,000), given the average price of VND50,000 ($2.1) per kilogram, Tuyet said after the fire was stamped out by local forces.

The loss of the dead pigs plus other damage to the farm’s facilities resulted in the total loss of about VND10 billion ($424,800), according to Nhan Dan (People) newspaper.  

The fire was caused by an electrical shortcut, and part of the pig herd was electrocuted to death, while the remainder were killed in the flames, some farm workers said.

Local residents and authorities offered support to Tuyet’s family to help them overcome the disaster, with many people buying the dead pigs from the ruined farm that was built two years ago.

The district authorities are investigating the cause of the fire.

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