Paradip: En masse death of crows has triggered panic in the port township with local people suspecting it to be the outbreak of bird flu.

An animal husbandry department official said samples had been sent to the animal diseases laboratory to ascertain the exact cause of death.

"The veterinary department personnel are keeping close watch on the avian species. There is no immediate cause of worry as suspected avian influenza impact on birds is yet to be established," said chief district veterinary officer Ramesh Chandra Behera.

"The crows are dying every day. The dead birds are rotting on the streets. Authorities are doing little to bury those. We are scared of avian flu outbreak," said local resident Rashmi Ranjan Routray.

A team of experts from the Animal Disease Research Institute has visited Paradip and taken the samples of dead cows for lab test.

"The crows are not considered to be carriers of the disease. However, we are not taking chances. The samples drawn from Paradip are being tested to ascertain the cause of death. We will come out with a detailed report on crows' death in a week. If required, the samples may be sent to Bhopal's Indian Veterinary Research Institute to ascertain the cause," said institute official Mihir Kumar Nayak.