Lower rate of airflow to cargo compartment may have led sheep to die of heat stress: MUIS

SINGAPORE — The 174 sheep, meant for a korban ritual earlier this month, could have died of heat stress due to a slightly lower rate of airflow to the cargo compartment of the aircraft during the flight from Perth, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said today (Oct 21).

“Investigations by the Agri Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore showed that the death of the sheep was due to heat stress. There was no indication of infectious disease,” it added.

The dead animals were among 2,200 Australian sheep that were flown  to Singapore  on board a Singapore Airlines Cargo plane on Oct 2. 

MUIS said investigations by SIA Cargo showed that the aircraft had departed Perth in fully serviceable condition.

“However, a few hours into the flight, one of the three air-conditioning packs on the aircraft produced a slightly lower rate of airflow to the cargo compartment on an intermittent basis. This lower airflow rate affected a small section of the aircraft and may have caused a disruption of temperature in that section of the aircraft,” the MUIS statement said.

In spite of the incident,  the korban — an annual Islamic ritual in which livestock are slaughtered and the meat is distributed to worshippers and the needy — was carried out smoothly on Oct 5 at 24 mosques and two Malay/Muslim Organisations organisations, MUIS said.