Swarm of bees injure five at California hotel
Five people, including a police officer and two fire fighters were hospitalized after a huge swarm of bees caused havoc in a California city.
A whole block of downtown Pasadena was closed off after 40,000 bees holed up in the eaves of a hotel, suddenly came alive.
Fire fighters were called to treat a bee sting outside the Howard Johnson Hotel when the swarm descended on them.
One fire fighter was stung 15 to 20 times, said Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian.
They were identified as Africanized bees.
"I’ve been with the Pasadena Fire Department for over 18 years and I’ve never seen a swarm of bees of this magnitude," Derderian said.
"The bees were very aggressive. Somebody could have had an allergic reaction and it could have been serious or fatal."
A total of seven people were stung.
Police were called to help close off roads and one officer was also stung multiple times.
The swarm was cleared with the help of fire fighters in protective clothing and a professional beekeeper.
After the swarm cleared, officers found the bees’ home.
Derderian said they located a six feet long honey comb at the top of hotel which as safely removed by the beekeeper.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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