What Caused the Tragic Bee Attack That Led to an Elderly Man's Death in MP Village?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The bee attack occurred during a family gathering for religious rituals.
- The smoke from cow dung cakes triggered the bees' aggression.
- A 60-year-old man lost his life due to the stings.
- Authorities are investigating the incident thoroughly.
- This is not the first deadly bee attack in the region.
Bhopal, May 27 (NationPress) In a devastating event that unfolded in Surru village, situated in the Malthon police station area of Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district, a swarm of bees launched a fierce assault on a gathering, leading to the unfortunate demise of an elderly man and injuries to multiple individuals.
On Monday, a 60-year-old man, along with his family, had gathered under a tree to conduct religious ceremonies.
Following the rituals, they began preparing food using cow dung cakes. The smoke generated from the burning cakes disturbed a beehive located in the tree above, triggering a sudden and aggressive attack on the group.
Regrettably, the elderly man succumbed to the numerous stings, while others were left injured.
This tragic incident occurred at the revered site of Havaldar Baba, which is positioned along the banks of the Naren River near Surru village, as per police reports.
Every year, the family of Bharat Singh Lodhi, residents of the village, convenes here for their religious observances.
In a conversation with IANS, Anoop Yadav, an officer from Malthon police station, explained that the Lodhi family was performing their annual rituals when the rising smoke from their cooking disturbed the bees, inciting them to attack in a frenzy.
The police officer mentioned that the victim was first rushed to a nearby Khimlasa hospital, but medical personnel advised the family to transfer him to a government hospital in Bina, where he unfortunately passed away during treatment.
A post-mortem is scheduled to be conducted in Bina, after which local investigations will commence.
While the identity of the victim is still being confirmed, he was an elderly individual.
This incident bears an unsettling resemblance to another deadly bee attack that occurred in February in Gura village, located in Madhya Pradesh’s Shahdol district. In that earlier case, a swarm of bees viciously attacked villagers in the Beohari police station area, around 75 km north of Shahdol’s district headquarters.
That tragedy transpired when a 75-year-old villager, Premlal Kol, was performing a ‘havan’—a sacred Hindu fire ritual involving various offerings—after returning from the recently held Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.
The thick smoke from the ritual apparently agitated the bees, prompting their aggressive response. Due to his age, Premlal was unable to escape the enraged swarm and tragically succumbed to the stings before receiving medical assistance.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the underlying causes of the bees' agitation.