14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this week, on Wednesday, a swarm of bees attacked several people in Arizona, US, and ended up killing a man. What's more, they badly injured four others.
The unfortunate incident occurred in the city of Douglas. The insects, identified as killer bees, emerged from a hive estimated to hold about 800,000 workers, and took the victims quite by surprise.
The four men and the woman that the killer bees turned against tried to put up a fight. However, they failed to chase away the insects or at least find shelter. Hence, they were stung repeatedly.
How it all played out
As mentioned, the incident took place in the city of Douglas in Arizona, US. The police officers in charge of investigating this case say that, all in all, the bees made five victims: four men and one woman.
It is understood that, at the time they were attacked by the killer bees, the men were doing some yard work. More precisely, they were cutting grass and removing weeds on the property of a 90-year-old, who was inside the house and, therefore, was not stung.
While tending to their business, the four men employed by Douglas ARC, an organization that helps folks with developmental problems find jobs, found themselves suddenly being repeatedly stung by a swarm of bees coming from a hive in the 90-year-old's attic.
A neighbor who happened to be in the area at the time the bees went haywire was also attacked and stung repeatedly in her arms, face and legs, the Huffington Post informs.
The aftermath
Rescuers who rushed to help the four men and the woman say that, when police officers and health workers arrived, the five victims were all in critical condition. A 32-year-old man said to have been stung at least 100 times eventually went into cardiac arrest and passed away.
Two of the men refused any medical treatment for their injuries, and the woman somehow managed to get to a local hospital on her own. Here, doctors tended to her wounds.
What's happened to the bees?
Following this attack, exterminators were called in and the killer bee hive hidden in the 90-year-old's attic was destroyed. The hive is said to have been at least 10 years old, and to have measured about 8 feet (2.5 meters) in length and 3 feet (1 meter) in width.
“They were already dropping down at me even before I started approaching it, that was before I started spraying, they were dive-bombing me and that's a sign to back off, back way off,” Jesus Corella with Southwest Exterminating said in a statement.
For the time being, the 90-year-old man is living with some of his relatives. Exterminators say that it will probably be a while until it is safe for him to go back home.