Two dozen individuals were injured — some critically — when bees attacked the French town of Aurillac.
The attack took place in the center of Aurillac and lasted roughly 30 minutes, according to reports. Two dozen people were stung by the swarm of bees — some several times as they tried to escape.
The Telegraph reports that one elderly man, 78, went into cardiac arrest amid the attack. He was stung a whopping 25 times. Emergency responders were able to revive him. According to the outlet, “The bees reportedly appeared from a rooftop apiary on the terrace of the Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux, near Place du Square.”
The mayor, Pierre Mathonier, touted one theory, surmising that Asian hornets threatened the hive and “provoked the bees’ aggression.”
“These aggressive bees spread to Avenue de la République and attacked passers-by,” he said.
Others described the horrifying scene.
An 80-year-old woman who lives near the area of the attack described it this way: “I saw two young women and a couple shaking each other. I saw a young woman in her bra and panties, she didn’t know how to handle this problem.”
“I got the impression they were being assaulted by something but I didn’t know what,” she added.
Emergency services responded to the scene, as did a beekeeper who smoked out the bees. According to the Independent, 24 people were injured, and three remain in critical condition as a result of the attack.
Whatever the reason for the attack, city officials indicated that the colony will be removed or reduced.
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