Fourteen flamingos at a zoo in Malacca were killed when they were hit by trees uprooted during a thunderstorm, a zoo official said today.

Thirteen flamingos died instantly when the rare storm late Sunday caused three large trees to fall into several animal enclosures and onto the birds, assistant zoo director Ramlah Abdul Majid told AFP .

Two other birds were injured, one of which died on Monday, she said. The other had a "very slim chance of surviving."

Six flamingos had survived, she said. No other animals were hurt.

The dead birds were brought in from Tanzania in December 2003 and were trained to perform in the zoo's bird show, Majid said. They were estimated to be worth about RM60,000.

The bird show was expected to go on with the remaining six flamingos, she said.