As many as 39 flamingos were killed in Bombay after an Emirates flight from Dubai coming in to land at the city’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport flew into a flock of the birds. The Boeing 777 aircraft, with more than 300 passengers on board, made a safe landing. The birds had no such luck.
“The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked without injury,” a spokesperson for the airline told BBC. “However, sadly, a number of flamingos were lost and Emirates is cooperating with the authorities on the matter.”
The flamingo deaths came to light late on Monday night when some children in Ghatkopar, a suburb near the airport, spotted some carcasses on a street. BBC reported officials saying that it was unclear whether the birds deviated from their normal route and came in the flight’s path.
The incident sparked concern among environmentalists, who have blamed excessive construction in the city for the tragedy.
Every year, thousands of flamingos migrate to Bombay around November, making the wetlands around the city, particularly in the Thane creek, their home for a few months. Locals and environmentalists wait with bated breath for the arrival of the pink beauties.
“Around 29 carcasses were found late Monday night, and another 10 on Tuesday morning,” forest officer Amol Bhagwat told The Indian Express. Visuals on TV showed volunteers and officials picking up bloodied carcasses from the ground.
According to environmentalists, the accident may have occurred as a result of the birds having had to change their path while flying towards a nearby wetland. Stalin D., an environmentalist, blamed power cables installed in the area.
“It is likely the flamingos were trying to pass over these high-power lines and got caught off guard and were hit by the airplane,” he said. The incident has led to renewed criticism of construction activity along Bombay’s coastal areas. Environmentalists have long raised concerns about an upcoming airport in neighbouring New Bombay, which, too, has several spots that are a favourite with the birds. They fear the presence of the airport, construction, and resultant increase in traffic there could result in more such incidents.
Meanwhile, The Khaleej Times reported that the aircraft involved in the incident also suffered damage. “As a result, the return flight EK509 scheduled to depart to Dubai on May 20 was cancelled,” the newspaper quoted an airline spokesperson as saying.
Absolutely sad! An #Emirates aircraft seconds away from landing at #Mumbai airport flew into a flock of flamingos leaving atleast 40 birds dead in its wake on Monday evening
Forest Department officials rushed to the site & recovered mutilated remains after locals alerted a… pic.twitter.com/grNE93spiy
— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) May 21, 2024
Oh god, tyranny of modernity for the animals . Nobody above humans and their greed. Poor flamingo .
— Dhruv Sharma (@advdhruvsharma) May 21, 2024
