An unusual bee attack in the French town of Aurillac injured 24 people, three of whom were in critical condition, the Associated Press reported, quoted by BTA.
The French department of Cantal in the south-central part of France said that passers-by were stung within a window of about 30 minutes the other morning. Firefighters and medical teams were sent to the scene of the incident to provide assistance to the victims, and police have established a security perimeter until the bees stop attacking.
The three people in critical condition were admitted to a local hospital. Aurillac Mayor Pierre Matonnier told French television station BFM TV on Wednesday that their condition had improved.
One of the seriously injured is a 78-year-old man who had to be resuscitated after his heart stopped beating, but is now in stable condition, the mayor said, adding that the other two "are in good health."
According to Matonnier, the incident may have been linked to Asian hornets threatening a 10-year-old beehive on the roof terrace of a hotel in the city center. He said the hornets may have caused the bees to become aggressive.
The beekeeper removed the hive and moved it outside the city, the mayor of Aurillac said.
Lieutenant Colonel Michel Caillat – The head of the local fire department said he had never encountered such an attack. He said the victim, who went into cardiopulmonary arrest, had to be resuscitated in the fire truck.
"In terms of the number of victims, the panic among the people and the seriousness of some of the injuries, it was impressive," he told the TF1 television channel.