More than 100 birds and three dogs and cats died of heat exhaustion at a Taiwan airport today after the ground crew failed to follow standard operating procedures, state media said.

The animals were left in the sun for more than two hours on the apron at Taipei's main international airport Taoyuan, the state-run Central News Agency said.

The ground temperature on the apron reached as high as 60 degrees Celsius, the agency said.

The airport's standard operating procedure requires that animals be moved from an indoor area to the apron 30 minutes before takeoff.

The animals were scheduled to be sent to Kuala Lumpur later today, the report said.

The Council of Agriculture said that the action violated the Animal Protection Act, which stipulates that pets should not be confined in an enclosed space for an extended period of time and that vent holes should remain open.

An investigation was under way, the city government's Office of Animal Care and Control said.

- dpa