Mumbai An Emirates plane preparing to land at Mumbai airport collided with a flock of flamingos, killing at least 40 birds. There has been an increase in flamingo deaths in the last few weeks, but this is the first time these birds have been named in a plane crash.
Emirates flight EK 508 was on final approach for landing on the city's main runway at around 8:30 pm when the accident occurred. During inspection of the aircraft after landing, several bird hit marks were found on the aircraft's fuselage. Pilots had reported bird strikes after landing and parking at bays.
Dead bodies of birds were scattered in Lakshmi Nagar area of Ghatkopar. Broken feathers, beaks and claws were scattered over a large area. B N Kumar, director of Nature Connect Foundation, said the forest department was informed and they collected most of the carcasses at night. He also said that at least 40 birds have died in this accident. The birds were flying towards Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary, the country's only urban Ramsar site, when the plane's path collided with them. Although most of the bodies were removed, morning joggers found remains of birds in some parts of the area, causing great grief and concern among residents.
He said, 'This is completely shocking because a bird accident on this scale has never happened before in Mumbai. Flamingos have been seen changing their flight paths due to large construction projects like Atal Setu. Birds are also getting distracted by light pollution, which is a major concern in cities like Mumbai. There is a need for a thorough investigation into this accident.
