Dungannon fire: Pigs killed in farmyard building blaze

Image caption, The cause of the fire is still being investigated by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service

More than 1,000 pigs have died following a fire at a farmyard building on the Gorey Road in Dungannon, County Tyrone.

About 80 sows and 1,000 piglets were in a farrowing house on the farm.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) attended the scene at about 21:35 GMT on Friday.

Appliances were mobilised from Dungannon, Pomeroy, Cookstown, Portadown, Omagh and Dungiven.

Firefighters used breathing apparatus and water form jets to extinguish the fire.

The farmer whose livestock were killed in the blaze wanted to thank those who raised the alarm, and the fire service for their efforts and warn other farmers of the dangers of this kind of fire.

'Devastating'

Group Commander Declan Rodgers said the firefighters left the scene at about 00:30 on Saturday.

The fire service is still trying to establish how it started and are returning to the scene to try and pinpoint the cause, but they do not believe is is deliberate.

To rebuild and restock, it will cost more than 拢700,000.

Image caption, Mark Robinson says it is "devastating"

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) councillor Mark Robinson said the blaze was devastating for the family involved.

"It's a pig house, so you have breeding sows in that house and piglets," he added.

"My understanding is that it was a local neighbour that highlighted to the farmer that he had seen the flames.

"The farmer arrived up at the shed and at that stage, I don't think they could go inside, they had to contact the fire service, the heat was just so high."