The pro-animal PvdD has again called for action after 23,000 chickens died in a fire at a factory farm in the Limburg village of Ospel on Wednesday night.

The mass death is the latest in a string of fires in the intensive farming sector – some 229,000 animals were killed in factory farm fires last year, according to foundation Wakker Dier. A further 83,000 animals have died in nine farm fires so far in 2018.

In particular, the party says farmers with older barns should install sprinkler systems and a fire alarm, as well as making it easy to remove animals from the building if there is a fire.

Last July, the PvdD introduced a motion to parliament calling for better fire safety at factory farms, but it failed to win enough support. The three Christian parties and two Liberal parties D66 and VVD voted against the measure.