Latest news with #beeattack
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Worker trying to repair roof at retirement community dies after attack by a swarm of killer bees
One man is dead and two more are injured after they were attacked by a swarm of bees while working at a retirement home in Arizona. The incident occurred Monday around 9:30 a.m. at a senior living facility in Scottsdale, Arizona, as two of the men were up on a lift attempting to 'remove stucco from a side column near the roof area,' said police. As they scrambled down and away from the insects, the other workers saw that their colleague Nicolas Lopez Soto, 65, was unconscious, ABC15 reported. Soto was taken to safety and CPR was performed at the scene. He was rushed to a local hospital by a responding fire crew. Soto was pronounced dead by medical staff just after 10:15 a.m., said Scottsdale Police Officer Aaron Bolin in a statement. His cause of death remains under investigation, authorities said. Police shared that Soto was fully clothed, wearing a T-shirt, jeans, and boots when he was stung across his body. Both the exposed and unexposed areas of his skin had 'numerous' stings, police said. The two other workers were stung dozens of times between them but are expected to make full recoveries. A beekeeper was scheduled to attend the premises the following day to remove the hive, Officer Bolin said. The average person can safely tolerate 10 stings per pound of body weight, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This means that although 500 stings can kill a child, the average adult should be able to withstand more than 1100 stings. Arizona Bee Kings founder Aaron Lorti said that bee attacks of this nature are common in heat waves. 'These bees are very active and very aggressive... They are very aggressive, very territorial, and if something sets them off, they will attack. When one stings you, they will leave a scent on your skin that tells everyone else to attack,' he told Fox Phoenix. Experts advise wearing light-colored clothing, not panicking, turning on lights, and covering your face, as well as never attempting to remove hives yourself, as the most practical steps to aid in avoiding being stung. An investigation by the Scottsdale PD and the Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner is now underway.
BBC News
08-07-2025
- BBC News
Bee attack leaves three in critical condition and dozens injured in Aurillac, France
Three people in a French town remain in a "critical but stable condition" following an unusual bee attack at the weekend which left 24 passersby injured, the mayor of Aurillac said on people were hurt and three were rushed to hospital in critical condition when hundreds of bees suddenly attacked people in the central-southern town on Sunday to local media, one of them was a 78-year-old woman who was stung 25 times and had to be resuscitated after a cardiorespiratory arrest. Police and firefighters fenced off the area and a beekeeper was called in to smoke out the bees - a safe way to calm the insects. A local man called Andrée said he witnessed "very panicked people" trying to bat off the bees. "I could tell they were being attacked by something but I couldn't figure out what," he told French mayor of Aurillac, Pierre Mathonier, was reported as saying that Asian hornets threatening a beehive may have been the catalyst for the Christian Carrier, the president of the regional beekeepers' union, was sceptical. He told France Info that bees generally avoid leaving their colonies altogether in the presence of Asian he said that the unusual incident may have been due to the bee colony becoming too large for its beehive and becoming "overactive" when the beekeeper handled it."It may be that [the bees] didn't have enough space and that their colony had no intention of swarming. This can trigger strong aggression," Mr Carrier said.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Bee Swarm Sends 3 to Hospital, Injures 24 Others in Random Aggressive Attack
Bees randomly attacked people on a French street for a half hour, causing 24 people to be injured, 3 critically 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. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 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. Read the original article on People
The Independent
07-07-2025
- The Independent
Three people fighting for their lives and 21 others injured after horror bee attack
An extraordinary bee attack in the French town of Aurillac has left 24 people injured, with three in critical condition, according to local authorities. Passers-by were stung over the span of about 30 minutes on Sunday morning in the south-central French town, the Prefecture of Cantal confirmed. Emergency services, including firefighters and medical teams, swiftly responded to treat the victims. Police established a security perimeter until the swarm dispersed. The three people in critical condition were transported to a local hospital. Pierre Mathonier, the mayor of Aurillac, suggested to French broadcaster France 3 that the incident could be linked to Asian hornets threatening beehives. These hives, he noted, had been installed on a downtown hotel's roof terrace over a decade ago, potentially causing the bees to become aggressive. Asian hornets are an invasive species that pose a threat to honey bees. They are originally from Asia but were accidentally introduced to France in 2004 and have since spread across Europe, including the United Kingdom, where they were first sighted in 2016. 'All ended well,' Mr Mathonier said. "The emergency services were perfectly coordinated.' Mr Mathonier told local media that the beekeeper had 'never experienced such behaviour' from the hotel bees. 'It raises questions about the presence of hives in the city centre. 'It could have been much more serious. It's shocking. A 78-year-old person was stung 25 times.' Aurillac officials said the bee colony would either be removed or culled.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Unusual bee attack in French town leaves 24 injured, 3 critically
A bee collects pollen on a flower on the grounds of the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa on July 28, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick AURILLAC, France — A unusual attack by bees in the French town of Aurillac has left 24 people injured, including three in critical condition, according to local authorities. The Prefecture of Cantal, in south-central France, said passersby were stung over a period of about 30 minutes on Sunday morning. Firefighters and medical teams were rushed to the scene to treat 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 French broadcaster France 3 the incident may have been related to Asian hornets threatening beehives that had been installed on the roof terrace of a downtown hotel over 10 years ago. He said that this had likely caused the bees to become aggressive. 'All ended well,' he said. 'The emergency services were perfectly coordinated. There was no panic in Aurillac, but a number of people were stung.' The Associated Press
