Dewas: A sudden honeybee attack during the traditional ‘Jawara Visarjan’ ritual left more than 20 people injured in Rajoda village of Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district on Tuesday.
Eleven of the injured have been admitted to the district hospital for treatment.
The incident occurred around 9 a.m. when villagers gathered near a well for the immersion of Jawara, a ritual associated with local customs.
According to information, five to six people jumped into the well to bathe. A large beehive was located just above the well on a peepal tree. Water splashes from the bathers reached the hive, agitating the bees, which then launched a fierce attack on those present at the spot. Panic quickly spread as the swarm descended. People scrambled to escape the stinging insects.
Many suffered multiple stings on their heads, hands, and other parts of the body. The injured were rushed to a hospital for medical attention. According to police sources, people were sitting near the well with the Jawara when someone jumped into the well. Once the bees attacked, the assault intensified instead of subsiding. People fled in all directions to save their lives, with some running nearly two kilometres.
They tried to fend off the bees using neem branches and their hands. Local people said that after the initial attack, they covered themselves with nets and remained under them for about 15 minutes while the bees continued to hover overhead. Fear kept them from emerging until the swarm eventually dispersed.
In a related recent incident in the Sonkach area of Dewas district, bees also attacked devotees during an idol immersion ceremony in Agera village, injuring around 25 people, of whom approximately 13 required hospitalisation.
Authorities and medical staff in Dewas are attending to the injured from the Rajoda attack. The condition of those admitted is being monitored. Villagers have been advised to exercise caution around known beehives during future community events.
–IANS–
