Police in India are investigating the deaths of twenty-one animals in a fire in a Russian circus performing in Mumbai. The Russian circus company is believed to have abandoned the animals after losing money. This report from Zubair Ahmed:

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Animal rights activists say they're outraged by the incident. They have urged the court for an investigation into the deaths of the animals. According to a local firm, which did publicity for the circus, the Russian circus company officials quietly left the city and the country after they were unable to pay the loans. And the company says the officials abandoned the animals too. The Russian circus company, called Russian Circus on Ice, was not just making losses, but it was also allegedly duped of eight hundred thousand dollars by a north-east India-based events management company. It was this company that had invited the circus to perform in India.

During the three week-long performance in Mumbai, the company is believed to have suffered huge losses. Police say all the officials of the events management company are absconding. They have launched an investigation into the fire that killed the twenty-one animals on Monday evening. They say they can't rule out the possibility of sabotage, but they would not elaborate.

Zubair Ahmed, Mumbai

Escute as palavras

animal rights activists
people who fight against cruelty to animals (defensores dos direitos dos animais)

outraged by
very angry and upset about (indignado com)

urged
to urge - to encourage and persuade (instou, pediu)

abandoned
to abandon - to leave something or someone completely and forever (abandonado)

making losses
to make losses - to lose money instead of making a profit (tendo prejuízo)

allegedly
apparently, according to what someone has said (supostamente)

duped of
tricked or deceived into losing (enganado)

absconding
to abscond - to leave suddenly and secretly to avoid arrest (escondendo-se)

rule out
to rule out - to say that something is not a possibility (descartar)

sabotage
deliberate damage or destruction, also - to sabotage (sabotagem)