An Emirates aircraft, on the brink of landing at Mumbai airport, collided with a flock of flamingos, resulting in the death of at least 40 birds. This marks the first instance of flamingos being involved in an aircraft accident, despite a recent uptick in flamingo fatalities. The incident occurred as Emirates flight EK 508 was completing its final approach to the runway around 8:30 pm on Monday evening.
Following the collision, residents of Laxmi Nagar in Ghatkopar discovered the aftermath, with bird carcasses scattered across the area. BN Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation, estimated that around 40 birds had perished in the accident. The birds were en route to the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary when their flight paths intersected with the aircraft.
Efforts by the forest department overnight managed to clear most of the carcasses, but remnants were still found by early morning joggers, causing distress among residents. The incident has sparked concern, with experts citing factors such as construction projects and light pollution as potential contributors to the disruption in the birds’ flight patterns. An official statement from Emirates regarding the incident is awaited as Mumbai continues to grapple with a surge in flamingo deaths in recent months.
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