Hit by landing plane, 40 flamingos die in Mumbai

At least 40 flamingos have been found dead at Ghatkopar East in Mumbai after being hit by a landing plane, said to be an Emirates aircraft coming from Dubai. The flight, however, has landed safely.

The carcasses were taken away by the forest department near Laxmi Nagar after residents made distress calls on Monday (May 20) night.

NGO assists

The Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare, an NGO, said it found the dead flamingos at different locations in Ghatkopar and assisted the forest department in locating the carcasses.

In April, the City and Industrial Development Corp (CIDCO) came under fire after morning walkers in Navi Mumbai’s Nerul area spotted 12 injured and unconscious flamingos. Later, seven of them died of their injuries.

Flamingos and Mumbai

Flamingos usually visit Mumbai’s wetlands from November to May, mostly for feeding purposes. They fly from breeding sites in Gujarat and Iran.

Because of the bird hit, the Emirates’ return flight to Dubai was cancelled on Monday night as the plane underwent a thorough inspection.

The Emirates flight will depart from Mumbai on Tuesday night.