A tragic explosion and subsequent fire at a dairy farm in Texas, USA, killed thousands of cattle and injured one person.
The explosion that occurred near Dimmitt, in Castro County, has left a balance of 18,000 dead cows, authorities have reported.
Although fire crews managed to rescue one person who was trapped inside the building, they could not prevent the loss of thousands of head of cattle, valued at about $2,000 each.
The Animal Welfare Institute has called this event the deadliest fire to affect livestock since they began tracking such fires in 2013: “This tragic incident is the deadliest barn fire involving livestock since at least 2013, when AWI began tracking barn fires. Farms must do more to protect animals by adopting fire safety measures.”
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The total cost of the cattle amounts to about 36 million dollars. The authorities continue to investigate the causes of the tragic event.
“We don’t yet know all the facts surrounding this disaster, but I want everyone at TDA and in the farming community to keep the injured worker, her family, the dairy owners and their families, and the cattle owners and those who work in South Fork Dairy in your thoughts and prayers. This was the deadliest barn fire for cattle in Texas history and investigation and cleanup may take some time,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.