Fresh crow deaths were reported from Park Circus and Chetla and a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) team visited these areas today. The state animal resources development (ARD) minister has, however, indicated they may have been poisoned.

“I have asked my department to look into the matter. Test results from samples are yet to arrive. But as far as I know, the crows may have died because they were poisoned. Generally, crows are not carriers of bird flu. In Kolkata, hens and ducks did not die but crows did. Therefore, it is unlikely that bird flu might have caused the deaths. I request people not to panic,” said state ARD minister Anisur Rahaman.

The minister said rumours were to blame for creating the panic. “In some areas, even if a goat or cow died, the locals attributed it to the bird flu. We have to educate them,” he added.

Fresh samples were collected from Chetla and Park Circus.