An attack by what is believed to be Africanised bees has resulted in the death of a Mayor and City Council worker who sought refuge in a nearby trench.
The body of 46-year-old Tashram Singh of 55-56 Independence Street, La Grange, West Bank Demerara was pulled from a trench at the corner of Sandy Babb Street, Kitty and Vlissengen Road.
According to reports, around 8:30 am yesterday Singh who had been employed as a sanitation worker with the Mayor and City Council was cleaning a parapet at the corner of Sandy Babb Street, Kitty and Vlissengen Road when he was attacked by the bees.
An eyewitness told Stabroek News that after Singh was attacked he ran and jumped into the trench. The eyewitness said that the City Council worker after jumping into the trench dived under the water and that was the last time he was seen alive. According to reports, persons who were passing were forced to seek cover at the JR Burgers Building which is located opposite where the incident occurred. Reports are that after the swarm of bees left the area over the trench where Singh had jumped, a public-spirited citizen went into the trench to find Singh. After searching for a few minutes Singh’s lifeless body was pulled from the trench. Police from the Kitty Police Station were immediately summoned to the scene and Singh’s body was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Singh has been employed with the city council for the past seven years. A post-mortem is expected to be performed on Singh’s body tomorrow.
Meanwhile, several hours after the incident there was still evidence of live bees. Despite reports from residents in the area that personnel from the Ministry of Agriculture had visited just after the incident and sprayed the tree where the bee hive is, bees were still seen flying around the area. When contacted on the issue of the removal of the bee hive from the location, Technical Manager, Animal Services of the Ministry of Agriculture, Michael Welch said in yesterday’s instance this was not done since it was an emergency. Welch told Stabroek News that the ministry, however, has personnel trained to deal with the removal and relocation of bees. He added that in yesterday’s incident a standard insecticide was used to spray the hive since the area is frequented by people. Welch noted that the ministry has plans to step up its bee awareness campaign. In addition, he said, the ministry has a unit that responds to such reports almost immediately. According to Welch, on a monthly basis the ministry responds to 200 to 300 calls of bee swarming.
On January 16 this year a Friendship resident, 50-year-old Abdul Hamied lost his life after being stung by Africanised bees while clearing a patch of land on his farm in the Friendship backlands, East Bank Demerara. A few days later an unidentified contractor and 28-year-old Deon Burnette were treated at the Georgetown Public Hospital after being stung by Africanised bees. Burnette also had to seek treatment for two of her dogs after they too were severely stung. Also in November of 2005 about 30 residents including Keith Massiah and 13-year-old Travis October were stung when a hive on Hadfield Street with about 200,000 Africanised bees was disturbed.
There have been other cases of attacks by bees across the country in recent months. (Jenelle Carter)
