Staff reporter(wp/es):
A London-bound flight was forced to make an emergency landing after colliding with a flock of around 50 storks.
The 170-passenger Airbus A321 had just taken off from Banjul airport in Gambia when its engines and landing gear were damaged by the collision.
Thomas Cook flight attendant Kayleigh Loveridge described hearing loud bangs as the incident took place.
Writing about the November 8 incident on Facebook on Friday, she said: "We took off, and on our climb we went through a flock of approximately 50 storks, causing a bird strike to both engines.
"Both engines were damaged and not functioning in the way they should have.
"We heard big bangs, felt the entire aircraft shake, shortly followed by one of our emergency commands from the flight deck.
The plane was then forced to make an emergency landing, she claimed.
Miss Loveridge also posted a series of grim pictures of the blood-splattered plane.
A spokesman for Thomas Cook said: "The pilots and cabin crew responded extremely professionally according to their training and the aircraft returned safely to Banjul.
"The customers were accommodated overnight in Banjul and flown home on a different plane the following morning, while the damaged aircraft was repaired and arrived back in the UK last night.
"We apologise for the unavoidable delay to their return journey.”
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