Tamil Nadu - Salem   

Bees attack students, teachers

— Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan

Students of Kannankurichi primary school in Salem coming out of classrooms in the wake of the bee attack on Tuesday.

SALEM: They came in droves from a nearby tree. Students of the Kannankurichi Union Primary School here, preparing for their final examinations on Tuesday, were caught unawares.

As hundreds of honey bees descended on them, teachers were forced to leave their classrooms running for cover. The avian attack lasted for 20 minutes, leaving two children in hospital and 20 others needing medical attention from the nearby Primary Health Centre.

Angry parents forced the school authorities to declare a holiday on Tuesday and postpone the examinations to Wednesday. They also sought immediate removal of the massive hive from the tree. “These bees bite occasionally, but only one or two of us alone would be affected. Hence we did not take them seriously until today,” said a school teacher.

“They might have been disturbed by some unscrupulous elements. Otherwise they rarely attack,” said a forest official. Fire Service and Rescue Personnel assured the students, parents and teachers of speedy action.

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