40 Flamingos die after being hit by aircraft
On Monday evening, seconds after arriving at Mumbai airport, an Emirates plane collided with a flock of flamingos, killing at least 40 of them. While flamingo deaths have soared in recent weeks, this is the first case involving the birds and an airplane.
The tragedy occurred around 8:30 p.m., while Emirates aircraft EK 508 was making its final approach to the city’s main runway.
According to a source at Mumbai air traffic control, the pilots alerted them of many bird strikes on the aircraft fuselage during the post-landing inspection. The pilots reported the bird hit after landing and parking in the harbor.
Assuming the aircraft collided with the birds during the final phase of landing before touchdown, a team was dispatched to search the runway for bird carcasses, but none were discovered, he added.
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Long before air traffic control began assessing the runway, residents of Laxmi Nagar in Ghatkopar were dealing with the repercussions of the tragedy.
“The area was littered with bird carcasses. Broken wings, beaks, and claws were dispersed across a vast region,” said B N Kumar, director of the NatConnect Foundation, an environmental NGO.
He stated that the forest department was notified and gathered the majority of the bodies at night, saying that at least 40 birds were killed in the mishap. The birds were traveling towards Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS), the country’s only urban Ramsar site, when their paths crossed with the airplane.
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Flamingos had changes their path recently
Though most of the carcasses had been removed, early morning joggers discovered bird remains in several areas of the neighborhood, causing substantial concern among residents, according to a Ghatkopar resident.
“It is completely shocking, as an avian disaster on this size has never occurred in Mumbai. Flamingos have been observed adjusting their flight patterns due to big construction projects such as Atal Setu. Light pollution, which is a big concern in areas such as Mumbai, also causes confusion for the birds. This accident begs for a major inquiry,” he added.
In recent months, Mumbai has seen a large number of flamingo deaths. In the last week of April, 12 injured flamingos were discovered in wetlands near Seawoods, Navi Mumbai, with more than five of them dying during treatment.
