Fatal Africanized Honey Bee attack in Guyana leaves one dead

Killer bees exterminated after stung Eccles mechanic dies

Written by Whitney Persaud

Wednesday, 21 September 2011 02:38

SHEIK Iman Hassan, the 48-year-old mechanic who was attacked by a swarm of killer bees, at his Lot 238 Anaida Avenue, Eccles, East Bank Demerara address, on Friday has died. He and his co-worker were attending to a customer’s vehicle at the time of the attack and Hassan’s wife, Savatri, said he was left lying on the road for about five minutes before being transported to the Balwant Singh Hospital, in East Street, Georgetown, where he succumbed later the same afternoon. DEAD: Sheikh Imran Hassan, 48 The woman said the two men tried to fight off the insects. He put his head in a barrel of water and the other man hid in the car on which they were working. Savatri said she went to assist them but, in fear of her own life, she abandoned the effort, noting that the bees were there for between half an hour to 45 minutes,  during which no one else intervened. “The carpenters in the areas tried their best to help; they even lit a fire to try and smoke them out but their efforts were unsuccessful,” the grieving woman said. The widowed woman said it was the first time that such an incident occurred in the area.  She is left to mourn with three children. The neighbouring house where the bees hive was Meanwhile, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) said, following the occurrence, immediate action was taken to exterminate the killer bees in the area. The agency said it contacted a private beekeeper, Mr. Carl Persaud, who responded to the scene and did what was necessary, including rescuing two dogs. He said, based on the number of bees that were exterminated, he believes there are other colonies of them within the area. The GLDA is advising that the bees are hostile and should be reported immediately to telephone numbers 220-6556/7. It extended its sympathy to the family of the dead man and those persons who were stung and injured in the process.

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