Buddhist monks chanted soothing mantras on Wednesday to pacify the souls of more than a million dead birds in Hong Kong, slaughtered to contain a deadly "bird flu" virus.
Before an elaborately adorned altar in a monastery in Hong Kong's New Territories, more than 70 Buddhists in black and brown robes gathered for the start of a seven-day marathon chant.Abbot Wing Sink, in yellow and red robes, said he hoped the more than 1 million Buddhists in Hong Kong would pray to appease the angry souls of the dead, innocent birds.
"We hope everyone will pray to dissolve this huge disaster," Wing told reporters during a pause in his prayers. "Without dissolving this thick air of resentment, disasters could happen, huge disasters."
More than a million chickens and other poultry had been killed by Tuesday night in a bid to contain the avian H5N1 virus, which has killed four people in Hong Kong this year.
The virus, which is infecting humans for the first time, is confirmed to have infected nine others.
The slaughter began on Monday and will end only when all 1.3 million chickens and other suspect poultry are dead.
The abbot said people should not take lightly the massacre of the birds.
"The lives of these chickens are still lives, like human lives. These chickens were humans before. Humans now could be chickens in later lives," Wing said.