Dozens of monkeys die in German zoo fire

BERLIN: Flames from flying New Year’s Eve lanterns might have sparked a blaze that killed dozens of monkeys at a zoo in northwestern Germany, management and security services said Wednesday.

The blaze tore through the monkey enclosure shortly before midnight, killing at least 30 animals, police said. The enclosure housed gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and marmosets. Only two chimpanzees survived, as well as a family of gorillas in a nearby building.

"Our worst fears have been realised," Krefeld zoo, which specialises in primates, announced on its Facebook page. Tearful visitors lit candles and left flowers and soft toys at the entrance of the zoo on Wednesday. One of the tributes asked simply "Why?". Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to other buildings at the zoo in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Preliminary findings suggest the fire might have been caused by flying paper lanterns, which float into the air when lit. Three lanterns bearing hand-written New Year’s wishes were discovered in the smouldering debris.

These types of devices have been banned in the region since 2009. Police, who have launched an investigation for "arson through negligence", were contacted late Wednesday by a number of people who may have used these lanterns. Krefeld police said investigators were verifying their statements.