Bee attack in France: 24 injured in Aurillac; hive removed after Asian hornet threat

An unusual bee attack in the French town of Aurillac injured 24 people on Sunday morning, as reported by ABC news . Three of the victims were in critical condition but have since improved, local officials said.

Lt Col Michel Cayla, head of the local fire service, said he had never seen anything like it. He described the scene as dramatic because of the number of people hurt, the panic it caused and the seriousness of some injuries.

“In terms of the number of victims, the panic among the people and the severity of some of the injuries, it was impressive,” he told broadcaster TF1 .

According to the Prefecture of Cantal office, the attack lasted around 30 minutes. People walking in the area were stung repeatedly. Firefighters and medical teams quickly arrived to help the injured, while police set up a safety perimeter until the bees calmed down.

The three people in critical condition were rushed to a local hospital. Aurillac’s mayor, Pierre Mathonier, told broadcaster BFM TV on Monday that all three were now in better condition.

One of them, a 78-year-old, had suffered cardiac arrest and had to be revived. The mayor said this person is now stable, while the other two are in good health.

The mayor suggested the bees may have become aggressive after Asian hornets, a type of large wasp tried to attack their hive. The hive had been on the roof of a hotel in the town centre for over 10 years. The hive has since been removed and relocated outside the town by a beekeeper.