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.
I don’t mean to make light of 3 people being in critical condition but… It’s simply too fitting, I’m afraid.
What’s this? A charming French town woefully underpopulated by bees?
A large influx of bees ought to put a stop to that!