An Emirates plane kills 36 flamingos in a bird strike in India

At least 36 protected flamingos have died in a single bird strike in the West Indies involving an Emirates Boeing 777.

Dubai-Mumbai flight EK-508 was flying over the outskirts of India’s financial capital with over 300 passengers on board when it collided with the horde shortly before landing.

The Emirates crew reported the bird strike incident upon arrival in Mumbai at 9.18pm local time (3.48pm GMT) on Monday.

The accident occurred in the suburb of Ghatkopar, about six kilometers from the international airport, as the plane was preparing to land. There were about 310 passengers on board.

The plane is said to have sustained some damage in the incident, but made a routine landing at Mumbai airport. The plane remained grounded there on Tuesday.

Following the incident, residents reported that the area over a large suburban area was littered with bird carcasses with broken pieces of wings, claws and beaks.

Officials from the Maharashtra forest department have recovered the scattered remains of many birds and launched a search to find out if more flamingos were killed. The death toll of 36 may rise.

“The carcasses have been sent for autopsy to find out the exact cause of death,” Pawan Sharma, founder of the Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), told the news agency Press Trust of India.

A local activist suggested that the birds may have flown on an unusual flight path because the nearby Thane Creek Wildlife Sanctuary had been disturbed. Environmentalist D. Stalin of the non-governmental organisation Vanshakti told the Hindustan Newspaper The newspaper reported that “the new power lines through the protected area are causing disorientation among the birds.”

“When it came to granting permission for power lines (previously this was not allowed within protected areas), the wildlife department capitulated meekly to the power company. Instead, the Thane Creek Wildlife Sanctuary was razed to the ground and electricity pylons were erected,” he was quoted as saying.

Thousands of flamingos come to Mumbai during the winter, but the birds and their habitat are threatened by rampant construction and environmental degradation in one of the world’s most populous cities.

India has the largest population of lesser flamingos outside the African continent. From October to May, officials count the flamingos daily for three days to maintain estimates of the country’s population.

Flamingos are protected in India under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. In 2018, Mumbai authorities declared nearly 1,700 hectares of the shoreline and creek as a flamingo sanctuary. However, there are concerns about encroachment on the designated area and risks associated with construction work nearby.

In a statement to The IndependentAn Emirates spokesperson said: “Emirates can confirm that flight EK508 from Dubai to Mumbai was involved in a bird strike upon landing on 20 May.”

“The aircraft landed safely and all passengers and crew were able to disembark without injury. Unfortunately, several flamingos were killed and Emirates is working with the authorities on this matter.”

“The incident also resulted in damage to the aircraft and the return flight EK509 to Dubai scheduled for May 20 has been cancelled. All passengers and crew have been accommodated overnight and a replacement aircraft is being arranged for all passengers, scheduled to depart Mumbai at 9pm local time on May 21.”

“Emirates apologises for any inconvenience. The safety of our passengers and crew is of the utmost importance and will not be compromised.”