MP man sacrifices life to save wife from deadly honeybee attack

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A 55-year-old man died while protecting his wife from a deadly honeybee attack in a forest in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district on Saturday. The tragic incident occurred when the couple was herding cattle near Khandari village.

According to TOI, Samay Lal saw his wife, Siyawati, being attacked by a swarm of bees while she was at a distance. He immediately rushed to her, covering her with his shawl to shield her from the stings. However, the bees then turned on him, killing him on the spot.

Rajkumar Mishra, the in-charge of Sidhi police station, was quoted by TOI as saying, "A case of unnatural death has been registered." Siyawati was hospitalised with severe injuries but is now out of danger, doctors confirmed.

Honeybee attacks, though rare, have turned fatal in the past. In separate incidents reported in 2022, two individuals lost their lives after being attacked by swarms of bees in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

A 13-year-old boy died after falling into a valley while trying to escape a bee attack in Satara district, approximately 110 kilometres from Pune. According to an NDTV report, the incident occurred on Shivajinagar Hill while the boy was attending a religious function. A police official stated that seven to eight others also suffered bee sting injuries during the attack.

In a similar tragedy, a 70-year-old farmer, Sundar Lal, died after being attacked by a swarm of bees in Pilibhit district, Uttar Pradesh. As per an IANS report, the incident took place in Amkhera village under the Barkhera police circle while Lal was working in his agricultural field. Locals attempted to drive away the bees using smoke, but by then, Lal had already succumbed to his injuries.