Bee terror grips a Chon Buri government complex as a giant swarm injures 13 students and four adults. An elderly vendor falls under hundreds of stings, while a police officer rushes into danger. Crews later burn the metre-wide hive in the local tree.
Hundreds of giant honey bees attacked a Chon Buri government complex on Thursday, injuring 13 students and four adults. An elderly vendor collapsed under the swarm, while a police investigator was stung attempting to save her. More than five ambulances rushed victims to hospital before emergency crews burned the metre-wide hive above the district offices and school.
A giant honey bee swarm tore through a busy government complex in Chon Buri on Thursday, injuring 17 people. Thirteen students and four adults were caught in the sudden attack. Several victims suffered swelling and allergic reactions following repeated stings. More than five ambulances raced to the scene as the casualty count climbed.
The incident began at about 10.20 am in Na Kluea, Bang Lamung district. A huge colony had occupied a monkey pod tree beside the district office. The surrounding complex also houses Bang Lamung Police Station and Bang Lamung School. Consequently, the morning swarm struck an area used by students, police, vendors and residents.
Food vendor Oranong Ventris, 71, was preparing to grill chicken beneath the tree. She started lighting a fire near her cooking area before bees appeared around her. Initially, only some insects were seen flying near the elderly vendor. Within minutes, however, hundreds of bees had surrounded her.
Police officer braves giant bee swarm as 13 students are caught outside after sudden school closure
The swarm descended and repeatedly stung Ms Oranong before she fell to the ground. She was reportedly attacked by hundreds of bees and suffered serious repercussions. Nearby people then saw her struggling beneath the tree as the swarm continued. At that point, a police investigator rushed forward and tried to pull her clear.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Ratchaphol Senee Wong Na Ayutthaya entered the swarm to rescue Ms Oranong. The Bang Lamung police investigator attempted to drag her away from the tree. Instead, the bees turned on him and repeatedly stung him during the rescue. He then grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed it towards the flying insects.
Despite his intervention, the swarm spread beyond the vendor’s cooking area. Bees surged across the surrounding complex and struck people passing near the tree. Critically, students were already moving through the area after an unexpected school closure. The power had failed, forcing Bang Lamung School to send its pupils home.
As a result, 13 students were caught as the swarm spread through the complex. The pupils suffered stings while attempting to escape the fast-moving insects. Some were returning home when the attack suddenly blocked their route. The school’s location placed them close to the tree and its massive hive.
Five ambulances rush 17 bee attack victims to hospital as elderly vendor suffers hundreds of stings
Elsewhere, other adults were also stung as the bees swept across the public area. The final casualty list included two food vendors, the police investigator and a local resident. Together, those four adults joined the 13 injured pupils. Several victims subsequently developed swelling and allergic reactions requiring hospital treatment.
In response, the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation launched a major rescue operation. The foundation dispatched more than five ambulances after receiving reports of multiple bee stings. Rescue crews arrived to find adults and schoolchildren requiring urgent assistance. They treated the casualties before transporting them to Pattaya Patamakhun Hospital.
Notably, Ms Oranong was among the most seriously affected victims. Hundreds of bees had attacked her before she collapsed beneath the monkey pod tree. Police Lieutenant Colonel Ratchaphol was injured while trying to pull her from the swarm. Nevertheless, he reached for the fire extinguisher and sprayed towards the insects.
Another food vendor, Jirapha Patcharawisakorn, 58, witnessed the frightening sequence. She said Ms Oranong had been lighting a fire to grill chicken. Bees from the tree’s large hive then started flying around the 71-year-old. Soon afterwards, hundreds swarmed the vendor and brought her to the ground.
Workers burn the giant hive above government complex after swarm leaves 17 people needing treatment
Meanwhile, the hive remained lodged high above the busy complex. Officials found it among the upper branches of the large monkey pod tree. The colony measured approximately one metre by one metre. Its position directly overlooked an area serving three heavily used public buildings.
In parallel, emergency workers cleared the injured from the scene and secured the surrounding area. The hive still posed an immediate danger to anyone moving below. Police officers, government workers, students, vendors and residents regularly use the complex. Therefore, officials moved to destroy the colony before another swarm could strike.
Pattaya disaster prevention personnel brought a basket lift beneath the tree. Using its raised platform, workers climbed towards the large hive while the ground remained secured. They then burned the colony to prevent further attacks. The operation removed the source of the swarm from above the government complex.
By then, all 17 recorded victims had been taken for medical treatment. Their injuries ranged from bee stings to swelling and allergic reactions. The group included children, vendors, a police investigator and a resident. Detailed medical updates on each victim were not immediately provided.
Residents reveal earlier bee attack as Thursday swarm overwhelms vendor and strikes passing pupils
Separately, local residents revealed that bees had attacked at the location before. However, they described Thursday’s swarm as considerably more severe. This time, hundreds of insects overwhelmed one vendor before spreading among passing students. The scale of the emergency required more than five ambulances and specialist equipment.
Earlier, the incident had started with routine activity beneath the tree. Ms Oranong was preparing food while students attended the nearby school. The power outage then forced pupils to leave the building and begin travelling home. Simultaneously, bees began gathering around the vendor’s cooking area.
Moments later, the separate events collided beneath the monkey pod tree. The swarm brought Ms Oranong down before striking the police officer helping her. It then reached pupils and other passers-by moving through the complex. The casualty total quickly rose to 17.
On another front, responders faced a continuing threat after evacuating the injured. The metre-wide hive remained high above the district offices and school. Standard ground access could not reach the colony safely. Accordingly, disaster prevention personnel deployed the basket lift for the final removal operation.
Basket lift carries workers to large metre-wide hive as power outage places 13 pupils in swarm’s path
As part of this response, workers moved above the scene and approached the hive directly. They burned it while emergency personnel remained positioned around the complex. The action was intended to prevent further attacks from the same colony. Afterwards, the immediate danger from the giant honey bees had been removed.
The attack’s timing sharply increased the number of people exposed. Bang Lamung School pupils would normally have remained inside during the morning. Instead, the power outage released them as the bees began swarming outside. That placed 13 students directly in the path of the insects.
Likewise, the government complex was already active when the incident began. Vendors were preparing food, while police and residents moved through the area. The tree stood beside the district office and close to the police station. A large swarm could therefore reach several groups within moments.
Police rescue bid ends in stings before crews destroy hive after 17 people are hurt in Chon Buri
Ms Oranong suffered the first and most concentrated attack reported at the scene. Police Lieutenant Colonel Ratchaphol then became a casualty during his rescue attempt. Subsequently, students and other adults were stung as the insects spread outward. The emergency response expanded as reports of further victims reached rescuers.
Ultimately, Thursday’s swarm injured 13 students and four adults near the Bang Lamung district office.
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Several suffered swelling or allergic reactions and required hospital treatment. Rescue workers deployed more than five ambulances to handle the sudden wave of casualties. Disaster prevention officials later burned the giant hive using a basket lift.
The episode ended only after the elevated colony was destroyed. Until that operation, the hive remained above the district office, police station and school. Residents said a similar incident had happened previously at the same location. This attack, however, was far more severe and left 17 people injured.
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