57-year-old parrot, hatchling among sanctuary birds to die from explosion

A pink flamingo, an owl and a 57-year-old parrot were among a group of birds at a bird sanctuary to die as a result of a powerful fireworks factory explosion which rocked Salina on Monday morning.

Some of the birds at Bird Park Malta appeared to have died from shock, while others showed signs of trauma, sanctuary director Kevin Mallia said.

A pink flamingo, meanwhile, fatally smashed into glass while flying away from the sound of the explosion.

A number of birds, including several flamingos, were still unaccounted for.

“We lost a lot of birds and suffered structural damage too,” an emotional Mallia said, highlighting air conditioner units becoming detached from walls and doors being blasted off their hinges.

Describing volunteers’ shock and sadness at the birds’ deaths, the sanctuary director said: “the animals are my children… they’re not just animals - they’re part of the family”.

Mallia said he had discovered “a lot” of dead birds – in particular egrets, a type of heron – following the explosion at the factory, which he said was located close to the sanctuary.

A parrot that had been at the sanctuary for more than 15 years, and which was to turn 58 years old next week, was among those to have died, said Mallia.

Meanwhile, a recently hatched crane had been found dead with blood running from its head, he said.

Mallia added that several birds had fatally jumped out of their nests in shock at the noise of the explosion.

Monday’s blast could be seen and heard from kilometres away, sending a thick plume of smoke extending high into the sky and damaging residences in nearby localities.

Scores of videos and photos of the explosion and its impacts were shared on social media and on messaging platforms.

Describing the moment of the blast, Mallia said, “The impact was so big, I’m surprised I didn’t have a heart attack myself”.

Recalling a similar explosion at the same factory eight years ago, the sanctuary director said that incident also led to birds at the sanctuary dying, calling it a “terrible experience”.

He added that several fireworks had been set off in the area on Sunday night.

Earlier on Monday, the Malta Youth in Agriculture Foundation (MaYA) said there had been “serious impacts on animals affected by the force and stress caused by the explosions” from the firework factory.

Farmers reported the deaths of four cows and injuries to other livestock. Times of Malta is informed that a rabbit breeder lost a number of rabbits due to the explosion.