GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Mar 28 2016 – African killer bees attacked a group of sugar workers in Guyana yesterday killing one man and leaving another hospitalised in serious condition.
The attack happened in the community of Bath Settlement west of the capital, Georgetown.
The men were working in the backdam at Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) on Sunday.
The 53-year-old deceased, Ramesh “Satesh” Lalaram, who worked at the state owned Guyana Sugar Corporation, was walking with nine other colleagues when they were attacked by the swarm of killer bees.
One of the injured men says they saw a herd of cows running in their direction with the swarm of bees overhead. Some of the men reportedly ran to a canal, while Lalaram and another man, Alta Ally, remained on the ground.
Ally reportedly warded off the bees by using a cigarette lighter to burn dried vegetation, but the bees continued to attack Lalaram.
Lalaram’s colleagues eventually got rid of the bees that had covered him, however, he appeared unconscious.
An ambulance rushed all the men to hospital where eight were treated and released.
Lalaram was pronounced dead on arrival and Ally was admitted in serious condition.