300 broilers found dead in Shimla, panic grips state-run slaughter house

About 300 broilers were found dead in a state-run slaughter house in Shimla, triggering panic about bird flu after which the remaining lot of 2700 chicks was destroyed by Shimla Municipal Corporation.

The dead broilers supplied from Haryana arrived at Shimla Municipal Corporation-run slaughter house and seventeen samples of dead and live animals were taken and sent for test to a Jalandhar lab, Veterinary Public Health Officer, SMC, Dr Arun Sarkaik said.

He said extreme cold conditions could have caused the death but as a precaution samples have been sent for test while the remaining lot has been destroyed. "Normally 50 to 100 animals die during winter and during the festival season the supply is more and so are the deaths. Sometimes, overcrowding during transit also causes death", he said.

While there is proper check and inspection of the supplies coming to the SMC-run slaughter house in Shimla, the unhygienic slaughtering of broilers and chicken in shops adjoining Shimla poses a risk in the wake of bird flu cases in Chandigarh, he said.