14 DAY TRIAL // Chinese officials have documented 28 deaths this week after a massive attack by killer hornets in the central part of the country.
Giant hornets attacked residents in Shaanxi province, injuring hundreds of people and causing deadly wounds to some of them.
International Business Times informs that they have been identified as Asian giant hornets or “Vespa mandarinia.”
The insects ran chase for hundreds of meters, stinging each person that came their way as many as 200 times.
The large hornets can reach speeds of 25 mph (40 km/h) and they are able to fly for approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers).
The attacks carried on for the last few weeks. Official Wang Zhengcai has warned residents in the area "to be very vigilant while in the woods." Walking through fields is also out of the question.
Most of the casualties lived in the towns of Ankang, Hanzhong and Shangluo in Shaanxi province or in village surrounding them.
The local Ankang Disease Control Centre was swarmed with requests. A source describes that getting stung 30 times requires a medical checkup. Ten stings could also cause medical issues and one should see a doctor immediately.
"Patients with more than 10 hornet stings should seek medical attention. Those with more than 30 stings need immediate emergency treatment," a director of the Disease Control Centre states.
The Guardian writes that 18 people have succumbed to the sting wounds in the city of Ankang alone.
The hornets started making their appearance in rural areas, three months ago. They terrorize locals starting in May and ending as late as November.
Injuries can have crippling long lasting effects – a patient in her 50s describes suffering from incontinence, even after spending a month in the hospital. A villager experienced liver failure, which eventually killed him.