Over 11,000 chickens died in a poultry farm fire near Katpadi

More than 11,000 chickens died and 93 bags of chicken feed were gutted in the fire. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

More than 11,000 chickens were burnt in a fire at a poultry farm in Manachanallur village near Katpadi in Vellore on Tuesday.

Police said the poultry farm was set up by E. Surendran (48) several years ago in his four-acre paddy field. The farm, which consists of three large tin sheds with a tin roof, raises a total of over 11,000 chickens. The fire was reported in one of the sheds when several residents near the shed saw smoke coming from an electrical panel in the shed around 2am.

Before the residents could alert neighbors for help, the fire engulfed the entire shed, each about 600 square feet, within minutes. On being informed, firemen from Gudiyatham and Katpadi rushed to the spot and doused the fire.

Police said 93 bags of chicken feed were also destroyed in the incident. Each bag weighs around 50 kg on average. The case was registered by the KV Kuppam police. The initial investigation showed that the cause of the fire could have been an electrical short. A probe is underway.

Published – 02 Jun 2026 23:45 IST