the goan I network
VALPOI
One person died and 10 others were injured, two of them seriously, after they were stung by a swarm of honey bees at Sonal in Sattari on Tuesday evening.
According to reports, a group of persons from Mauxi village had gone to the Mhovacho Guno, a popular site for bathing in the Mhadei river at about 6 pm.
At the site, some youth are believed to have hurled stones at a nearby honey bee comb, disturbing the swarm of honey bees.
The honey bees then began stinging all those who were at the site and at least 10 persons were injured due to the bee sting. A number of people fled to the nearby jungle to save themselves from the swarm of honey bees.
Among those injured, Shripad Gaonkar (33) of Mauxi, Madhu Gaonkar (27) of Mauxi, Shivlo Zarmekar (52) of Velus and Rushiraj Shamrao (17) of Sonal were rushed to the Community Health Centre at Valpoi for treatment.
Shripad Gaonkar and Mhadu Gaonkar were later shifted to the Goa Medical College hospital for the further treatment, as their condition was serious.
Shamrao Daji More (55) of Sonal and a supervisor with the Sanjivani sugar factory at Dharbandora for 30 years, was also badly stung by the bees while he was at the site along with a friend.
He fell into the water and was later pulled out and shifted to the Valpoi Community Health Centre, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Six other persons were are reported to have been stung by the honey bees.
Rushiraj, who had accompanied his father, Shamrao to the site, told reporters that when the swarm of honey bees began stinging the people, everyone fled for their lives.
“I too ran away from the site but when my father did not return to home till 6.30 pm, people started searching for him and he was found dead in the water,” said Rushiraj.
Locals from Sonal were upset with those stoning the honey bee comb, which caused the honey bees to sting people at the Mhovacho Guno.
Valpoi police conducted the panchnama and said the body will be sent for an autospy on Wednesday morning to determine the cause of death, before being handed over to relatives for final rites.
