Some 9,000 pigs have been killed in a farm fire near the village of Sint Oedenrode in Brabant.

The fire broke out in the early afternoon on Wednesday and quickly spread to the two barns where pigs were raised. All the animals are thought to have died.

The cause of the fire is not yet known. The fire brigade was able to stop the fire spreading to other farm buildings and no humans were hurt.

Farm fires are a regular occurrence in the intensive Dutch livestock sector. Last year, 134,000 animals died in 10 separate fires, according to animal rights group Wakker Dier.

In 2018, the government said it would not force farmers to take further measures to prevent fires breaking out because of the cost of the investment. The current measures do not include compulsory lightning conductors and sprinkler systems.

In addition, the isolated location of many farms means it can take the fire brigade some time to reach fires.