In brief
In a rare and alarming event, hundreds of bees attacked residents in Aurillac, resulting in injuries and panic as the town grapples with the aftermath.
In Aurillac, a town situated in central-southern France, three individuals remain in "critical but stable condition" following a sudden and severe bee attack that occurred over the weekend. The mayor reported on Monday that a total of 24 people sustained injuries, with three requiring immediate hospital attention due to the aggressive nature of the swarm.Witnesses described chaos as dozens of panicked pedestrians attempted to fend off the bees, which reportedly overwhelmed them without warning on Sunday morning. Among those injured was a 78-year-old woman who was stung 25 times and suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest, necessitating resuscitation at the scene.Local authorities responded swiftly, cordoning off the area and bringing in a beekeeper to safely neutralize the swarm with smoke. Eyewitness Andrée recounted the terrifying scene, noting how the crowd was consumed by fear and confusion.The primary suspect behind this unusual occurrence appears to be Asian hornets that were threatening a nearby beehive, according to the town's mayor, Pierre Mathonier. However, this assertion has been met with skepticism from regional beekeepers' union president, Christian Carrier, who emphasized that bees typically remain close to their colonies when posed with a threat from hornets.Carrier speculated that the aggression could stem from a colony exceeding the limits of their hive, a situation that might lead bees to exhibit unusually defensive behavior. "They may have felt cramped; their colony's intention was not to swarm, but that can create heightened aggression," he explained.As the town continues to navigate the implications of this alarming event, the medical team remains vigilant in monitoring the wounded while residents of Aurillac recuperate from the shock of the unexpected attack.
