logo
Bee attack leaves dozens of people injured in French town

Bee attack leaves dozens of people injured in French town

The Guardian07-07-2025
A unusual attack by bees in the French town of Aurillac has left 24 people injured, including three who were in critical condition but have since improved, according to local authorities.
Passersby were stung over a period of about 30 minutes on Sunday morning, according to the prefecture of Cantal, in south-central France. Firefighters and medical teams treated the victims, while police set up a security perimeter until the bees stopped their attack.
The three people in critical condition were evacuated to a local hospital. Pierre Mathonier, the mayor of Aurillac, told BFM TV on Monday that their condition had improved.
One of them was a 78-year-old person who had to be resuscitated after a cardiorespiratory arrest, he said.
The mayor said the incident may have been related to Asian hornets threatening a beehive that was installed on the roof terrace of a hotel more than a decade ago, and had caused the bees to become aggressive.
Mathonier said the beekeeper had removed the beehive and relocated it outside of the town.
Lt Col Michel Cayla, in charge of the local fire services, said he had never experienced such an attack. 'In terms of the number of victims, the panic among the people and the severity of some of the injuries, it was striking,' he told broadcaster TF1.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

French citiesimpose curfews on children after drug violence
French citiesimpose curfews on children after drug violence

BBC News

time28 minutes ago

  • BBC News

French citiesimpose curfews on children after drug violence

A number of French cities have imposed night-time curfews on young people following a spate of violence linked to drug trafficking.Nîmes in the south was the latest to bring in measures, which authorities said were meant to prevent under 16s from being "exposed to violence" and to "contain tensions". Additional police units will also be sent the course of the last month several shootings - one in broad daylight - left one person dead and several week the body of a 19-year-old man was found partially burned on the outskirts of Nîmes. Announcing the curfew – in force between 21:00 and 06:00 – mayor Jean-Paul Fournier said the situation had become "untenable" and that drug traffickers had created a "climate of fear and terror".Deputy mayor Richard Schieven said the curfew would protect minors not involved in the drug trade "but also those aged 12 or 13 who are exploited by drug traffickers".Béziers, 120km (75 miles) to the south-west, has had a curfew in place for children under 13 between 23:00 and 06:00 since last year and expanded it to under 15s in certain areas last March. "No 10-year-old out on the street at 02:00 is up to anything but mischief," said mayor Robert Ménard in the measures, Béziers continues to be plagued by violence. At the weekend balaclava-clad youths lured police and then attacked them with fireworks, local media reported.A similar incident occurred in Limoges in southwestern France. The city has also imposed curfew measures for under 13s for the duration of the summer holidays – but following violence involving 100 people at the weekend Mayor Émile Roger Lombertie said the results of the measures were "not good"."We had disturbances by young people, nobody managed to intercept and arrest them, and the curfew was useless," Lombertie said, adding that more police was needed to enforce the years ago the there was outrage in Nimes when a 10-year-old boy was killed by a bullet in the Pissevin area of the latest developments confirm a growing trend that has seen drug violence expand beyond Marseille – the long-time epicentre of gang wars in to the interior ministry, 110 people died in France and more than 300 others were wounded in drug-related violence in Minister Gérard Darmanin and Justice Minister Bruno Retailleau have long insisted on the need to fight the scourge of the drugs this year they steered a bill through parliament which resulted in two maximum-security jails for drug barons, a new, dedicated branch of the prosecutors' office, extra powers for investigators, and a special, protected status for said on Tuesday that "the first 17 drug-traffickers, among them the most dangerous in our country", were transferred to a high-security jail at Vendin-le-Vieil in northern France.A wave of arson and gun attacks at French prisons in the spring was widely pinned on drugs gangs hitting back at the government's crackdown.

Ukrainians caught trying to bring in migrants on yacht
Ukrainians caught trying to bring in migrants on yacht

Telegraph

time28 minutes ago

  • Telegraph

Ukrainians caught trying to bring in migrants on yacht

Ukrainian people smugglers have been caught attempting to bring migrants illegally into the UK by yacht. The yacht, carrying four Albanians and a Vietnamese national, was intercepted by a Border Force cutter off the Isle of Wight on Sunday afternoon. It is the latest attempt to smuggle migrants into the UK by yacht where, unlike with small boats, they can make a clandestine entry into the UK without their details being logged by Border Force and immigration officials. Its crew, two Ukrainian men aged 43 and 37, were arrested on suspicion of facilitating illegal immigration, said the National Crime Agency (NCA). The five passengers were detained under immigration laws. Julian Harriman, the senior investigating officer, said: 'This operation was part of an ongoing NCA investigation led jointly with French judicial authorities and Gendarmerie Nationale. 'Tackling people smuggling gangs remains a priority for both France and the United Kingdom.' The interception came as an Albanian people smuggler was jailed for seven years and 10 months for also using a hired yacht to try to bring 21 migrants across the Channel. Bleda Bega, 44, was captaining the yacht as it sailed towards the south west coast of England. It was intercepted by Border Force on Sunday April 13 where officers discovered the 21 passengers comprising 20 men and one woman, all Albanian nationals. Dame Angela Eagle, the border security minister, said: 'This sentence shows Border Force work to tackle attempts to enter the UK illegally by these criminal smuggling gangs. They have been using state of the art technology and surveillance capabilities. 'This government has put forward a serious, credible plan to restore order to our asylum system, including tougher legislation, increased returns and enhanced enforcement activity to target illegal working. 'Anyone who seeks to smuggle people into the country in this way faces arrest, prosecution and a jail sentence.' 'Low-risk' yachts A former soldier turned people smuggler said earlier this year that yachts were still being used because of the low risk of being caught at marinas that could be protected with no more security than a caravan site. The ex-soldier, who the BBC named as 'Nick', said he had chosen to speak out because he was 'angry' he had been jailed for a crime that was still very possible to commit. He claimed to know people who, in the past year, had used the same routes and methods as him. The smuggling routes – whether by yacht or ferry – were 'easy' and 'low-risk', he said. Border Force is responsible for securing the 11,000 miles of UK coastline, but the security of harbours and marinas rests with private operators, Charlie Eastaugh, the force's director of maritime, told the BBC. 'We patrol 24/7, we carry out proactive, as well as reactive, operations,' he said – citing the luxury yacht, hiding the 20 Albanians below deck, which was intercepted en route to Newquay in Cornwall last month.

Father accuses French campsite staff of 'bias' against English tourists - claiming they 'ganged up' on his family with false claims against his children
Father accuses French campsite staff of 'bias' against English tourists - claiming they 'ganged up' on his family with false claims against his children

Daily Mail​

time28 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Father accuses French campsite staff of 'bias' against English tourists - claiming they 'ganged up' on his family with false claims against his children

A 'fuming' Englishman has claimed that a French campsite unfairly accused his family of 'tearing' a trampoline up and 'leaving rubbish everywhere' - saying they have a 'clear bias' against the Brits. Taking to TikTok, father-of-three James, who runs @thedaurats - an account with more than 11,600 followers - blasted staff at Camping des Lancieres, in the Rogny-les-Sept-Écluses region, for 'ganging up' on them. 'I'm raging,' he said the video, which has racked up some 119,400 views. 'We're travelling through Europe in a campervan and we're in France at the moment. 'We needed somewhere to stay for a couple of nights and we found a campsite and we thought this was brilliant value. It literally was like €9 per night on this site.' James admitted the play area was 'a little bit basic' but there was a 'trampoline'. 'Our children then went to play,' he continued. 'They were fine. I kept checking on them every so often. 'There was another family at the other side of the site who have children who were playing with our children. 'But I could see that the two boys were being rough, like, hitting my child to a point where I said, come off the trampoline. 'Later on, they came over - and they were playing fine... all getting along nicely. They went back anyway and they went back on the trampoline.' Then however, James said his daughter was 'pushed into the side netting of the trampoline' - and 'fell out'. 'Luckily she was okay,' he assured. 'We've taken pictures. We took pictures straight away of the net to show that it was torn and how she fell out.' He explained that, however, the following morning he heard knocking from a site 'warden' at his door, saying she was 'shouting': 'You must pay for the net!' 'So what has happened is the families of the other children, the French families staying in the caravans over there, which are right next to the trampoline, who I think are long term stayers, have all coincidentally got the story from their children and messaged the person to say our children were picking apart and tearing the net... and that's what's caused it to break,' he said. James then shared a clip of his conversation with someone at the campsite, which appears to have been facilitated by a translator on the phone - who also works at Camping des Lancieres. The woman on the other line appeared to be trying to get James's side across to the warden, in French saying: 'They seem to be saying they took the kids away... that it wasn't them.' In return however, the warden sarcastically quipped: 'Yeah right, they're angels.' Then, she claimed the family 'left rubbish everywhere'. She added: 'You can tell them if they cause another problem they're being kicked out because other campers are fed up.' James also denied claims that he and his family were leaving trash around the site. 'She's pointing out that I left a tissue,' he said in the clip, trying to speak to the warden. 'She said, you're leaving rubbish I could work out. You're saying you're leaving rubbish on the floor. It was under the door. When I've opened the door, it's fallen off the counter... Look at this plastic that's not even ours.' 'How can we have a conversation when you're walking away?' he continued. 'Because every time I try and speak to her, she's just walking away. 'She's received emails from other families that we've done something, when clearly she's made up her mind. I can only assume that it's the English family's fault. She just didn't like us.' It did however also seem there were language barriers in place, and it is unclear if both parties truly understood one another. 'This is the worst experience of my life. I feel like they've clearly ganged up on us,' James said. 'We're the English family. We struggle. We speak a little bit of French, but not much.' Commenters appeared divided, and as while many voiced their support, others insisted James's family should pay for the net MailOnline has reached out to the family and the campsite for comment. Commenters appeared divided, and as while many voiced their support, others insisted James's family should pay for the net. 'I'm so sorry this happened to you!' one wrote. 'I'm a Brit living in France and do feel like the the French always side with their own as I've had a few similar issues here with French neighbours in my apartment building (not the same issue I know, but I do understand your situation a little bit!)... 'It's such a shame and I hope you got it sorted in the end.' One also recounted: 'Not being funny but I've noticed a lot of micro aggressions over seating in cafes and restaurants - parking at tourist destinations, taxi drivers, passport control and even beach chairs. 'I've traveled in remote areas of Africa and Asia for 25 years and never had so much low level snark from people clearly annoyed by strangers and perhaps over tourism. Literally in the last 2-3 years I'm a Gen X so am pretty laid back and not about it. 'I also live in a tourist area in the UK so am very respectful of locals when I travel abroad because I know what a pain tourists can be. I think humans have changed since Covid - road rage, Reform, Trump. It's not you mate.' Others however appeared to site with the campsite. One questioned: 'Why didn't you report to the campsite owners if you had nothing to hide.' 'Families will always side with their own children, even if they are in the wrong, no matter what the country, these days,' elsewhere, someone penned. 'Tourism is taking the back lash for the immigration crisis, today. 'Most of the countries that rely on tourists are taking their frustrations out on the tourists. It's very sad. 'And yes, there are terrible tourists that can't behave themselves, mainly adults.' The campsite has largely positive reviews on TripAdvisor, with a 4.3/5 score. Reviewers said the accommodation is 'restful' and service is 'top notch'. The Daurats call themselves a 'home education family' and share their travels on social media, with their children Henri, nine, Genevive and Gabriel, who will be one in October.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store