Overview

• On July 6 at around 10 a.m., a swarm of honeybees attacked passersby in Aurillac’s town centre for about 30 minutes, stinging 24 people and hospitalizing three in critical condition.
• Among the most severe injuries, a 78-year-old victim suffered 25 stings and another person experienced cardiac arrest before firefighters revived them.
• Officials believe the bees turned defensive after Asian hornets threatened a rooftop apiary at the Hôtel de Bordeaux that had been in place for more than ten years.
• Firefighters, medical teams and police established a security perimeter and treated victims on scene before transferring the injured to a local hospital.
• With the hive now removed, local authorities are assessing whether to relocate or cull the colony and reviewing urban beekeeping regulations to prevent future incidents.