Bee attack leaves three fighting for their lives and 24 injured after swarms pummel dozens of people in France
Three people are fighting for their lives after a freak incident in a French town which saw swarms of bees attack dozens of people.
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The unusual attack by bees in Aurillac has left 24 people injured, including three in a critical condition.
One of the victims was an elderly woman, who was stung more than 25 times during the attack on Sunday morning.
Firefighters and medical teams rushed to the scene to treat the victims while police set up a security perimeter until the bees stopped their attack.
The Prefecture of Cantal, in south-central France, said passers-by were stung over a period of about 30 minutes on Sunday morning.
A cordon was set up on the scene to keep tourists and onlookers away while they worked to remove the insects.
The three people in a critical condition were evacuated to a local hospital. It is believed they were allergic to bees and had suffered a severe reaction.
One of the women suffered a cardiac arrest, but was luckily revived by firefighters
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 town centre hotel more than 10 years ago.
“There were hives installed on the roof terrace of the Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux for over 10 years. Asian hornets must have threatened the hive, which caused the bees to become aggressive", he said.
"These aggressive bees spread to Avenue de la République and attacked passersby."
"The beekeeper had never experienced such behaviour from 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."
"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 victims were in stable condition by Sunday afternoon, according to the local fire brigade, and the public prosecutor has launched an investigation into the unusual case.
The town hall said the bees might be moved or culled, and Mr Mathonier said that he is considering banning beehives in his area.