A major fire broke out on New Year’s Eve in the monkey shelter at Krefeld Zoo in western Germany. All the residents who stayed there have died, regrets the zoo.

“Our worst fears have become a reality. There are no surviving animals in the monkey house”, the zoo near the city of Düsseldorf wrote on its Facebook page early Wednesday morning.

The directly adjacent gorilla enclosure was spared, as the zoo announced. But the monkey house burned to the ground. The cause of the fire was still unclear at night. Fireworks, however, could have triggered the fire, as the WDR reported.

The fire brigade was still doing fire fighting at night. The city of Krefeld wanted to announce further information at a press conference later this Wednesday.

The zoo wrote: “An incredible tragedy hit us shortly after midnight.” The ape house had burned down. The criminal police are investigating. The zoo is therefore closed on Wednesday. Numerous offers of help have already been received. “Please understand that we are still in shock and cannot say exactly whether and where we need help”.

According to the zoo, the monkey house was opened in 1975. The footprint of the greenhouse-style building was 2000 square meters. At home were orangutans, chimpanzees, gorillas, marmosets, epaulette fruit bats and birds. By 2020, the orangutans and chimpanzees should still be given outdoor facilities.