Five critical as 25 from same family stung by wasps near Himachal temple

Hamirpur: In an unusual incident, 25 members of a family engaged in wedding festivities were injured on Monday morning in a wasp attack in Rakkad village of Hamirpur district when they had gone to a temple.

The incident took place when groom Naveen Singh and his family members, as part of the wedding rituals, went to Guga temple to offer prayers and were suddenly attacked and stung by wasps near the temple premises after they performed puja.

The sudden attack also led to a commotion as everyone tried to evade the stings.

They have been admitted to Nadaun Hospital and are undergoing treatment, said the groom’s father, Dilip Singh.

Five of them are considered critical, while a few of the remaining, including the groom, are seriously injured, said the health officials.  The atmosphere of happiness in the family has turned into sorrow following the attack, and at present, the wedding rituals have been stopped for some time.

Earlier, on Saturday evening, two women were attacked by honey bees while they were cutting grass in Bilapsur district’s Kar Yalag (Jol) village.

 Wasps are carnivores, feeding on insects, spiders and others. They are often considered pests due to their aggressive nature and stings, while honey bees are primarily herbivores, feeding on nectar and pollen and crucial for pollination.