Some 60,000 chickens have been killed in a fire at a factory farm near Venray, Limburg, fire officials said on Friday morning.

The fire broke out in the barn where the chickens were being kept just after 23.00 hours. The source of the blaze has not yet been determined.

Fires at Dutch poultry farms are not uncommon. In July 2013, 10,000 chickens died in a fire in Limburg. In November 2012, nearly 50,000 chickens were killed in a fire near Utrecht and in July 2011, 170,000 died in a similar fire in Drenthe.

The government is due to publish a progress report on improving fire safety at factory farms this autumn.