A bus accident took an unexpected turn when a swarm of Africanized bees attacked the surviving passengers, killing six people.
On May 8, a bus carrying around 45 passengers in northwest Nicaragua experienced a mechanical failure, causing it to plummet several feet down a ravine and land in a coffee plantation. Although the passengers initially survived the crash, their ordeal was far from over. The bus had collided with multiple beehives, provoking an onslaught from a swarm of agitated “killer” bees.
The casualties included five adults, aged between 19 and 84, and an eight-year-old girl. In addition, 14 other individuals sustained serious injuries from the bee attack.
Local firefighters used foam to control the swarm and evacuate the passengers from the bus.
Africanized honey bees, commonly referred to as “killer bees,” are a dangerous hybrid species resulting from the interbreeding of African honey bees and European honey bees. Introduced to Brazil in 1956 to boost honey production, African honey bees escaped in 1957 and mated with European honey bees.
Since the 1950s, these hybrid bees have been responsible for over 1,000 documented deaths in Brazil and have spread to other countries, including Nicaragua and the United States.
In 2014, an Arizona landscaper tragically lost his life after being attacked by 800,000 Africanized bees in the attic of a house.
In 2018, a swarm of these potentially deadly insects descended on a Walmart in Wallis, Texas, leading to a man’s hospitalization.
Just like other honey bees, the job of Africanized honey bees is to collect nectar and pollen from flowers, create honey, and contribute to the pollination of plants. They also have specific tasks within the hive, such as caring for the queen and her brood, building and maintaining the honeycomb, and defending the colony.
However, Africanized honey bees are known for their aggressive behavior, earning them the nickname “killer bees.” When threatened, they respond more quickly and in greater numbers than other honey bee species, and they are more likely to pursue perceived threats for longer distances. While their stings are not more poisonous than those of other honey bees, the intensity of their attacks and the sheer number of stings can be dangerous, even fatal, to humans and animals.