Bee Swarm Sends 3 to Hospital, Injures 24 Others in Random Aggressive Attack
Aurillac mayor Pierre Mathonier said the bees may have become aggressive after their rooftop hives were attacked by Asian hornets
One 78-year-old man was stung 25 times, and another went into cardiac arrestA random bee attack left 24 people injured, 3 critically, as town police had to set up a perimeter to protect people from the swarm.
For 30 minutes on July 6, people walking in the French town of Aurillac were stung by bees in a random attack, local authorities in the south-central French Prefecture of Cantal, said according to the Associated Press. Authorities set up a security perimeter and treated the victims until the bees stopped their attack.
Aurillac mayor Pierre Mathonier told French broadcaster France 3 that the bees may have become aggressive after their rooftop beehives — which were installed in a downtown hotel 10 years ago — were attacked by Asian hornets, aka "murder hornets," a 2-inch-long, aggressive insect that kills honey bees.
'All ended well,' Mathonier said, per the outlet. 'The emergency services were perfectly coordinated. There was no panic in Aurillac, but a number of people were stung.'
One man, 78, was stung 25 times, according to 9 News; Another person went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated in an ambulance.
'In terms of the number of victims, the panic among the people and the severity of some of the injuries, it was impressive,' Lieutenant-colonel Michel Cayla told broadcaster TF1, per the outlet.
Basic first aid can ease the pain of a bee sting, the Mayo Clinic explains, but those who are stung more than a dozen times can experience a more severe reaction, which includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and lightheadedness.
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Others who are stung may develop a severe, life-threatening reaction, called anaphylaxis, which can happen up to an hour after the sting. These symptoms include rash, itching, respiratory trouble, swollen tongue, trouble swallowing and chest tightness.
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