In the French town of Aurillac, at least 24 people were injured in an attack by a swarm of bees on Sunday. Three of them are in critical condition, according to local authorities.
The attack happened in the morning and lasted for several hours, the authorities write. It is unclear why the bees attacked the people.
Mayor Pierre Mathonier of Aurillac suggested to the broadcaster France 3 that Asian hornets, a type of wasp, may be the cause of the bees’ behavior, which he says have been nesting on the roof terrace of a hotel in Aurillac, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, for more than ten years.
“Asian hornets must have threatened the nest, causing the bees to become aggressive,” his theory went. “These aggressive bees spread to the Avenue de la République and attacked passers-by.”