Reptile warehouse destroyed in blaze

30,000 animals killed as fire rips through depot belonging to one of France’s largest reptile suppliers

Published Wednesday 30 November 2016 - 16:28 Modified Wednesday 30 November 2016 - 16:28

THOUSANDS of reptiles were killed when a fire ripped through a warehouse in the Tarn town of Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe in the early hours of Sunday.

The 4,000m2 warehouse belongs to Savannah, one of the largest wholesalers of reptiles and turtles in France. According to France 3 Midi Pyrenees, between 20,000 and 30,000 animals died in the blaze. A few turtles were rescued.

The fire was so intense, portions of the property melted - and, as this video from France 3 shows, firefighters were still damping down the remains on Sunday afternoon, 12 hours after they first arrived at the scene.

Photo: France 3 / screengrab

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