Woman picking tea stung by bees to death

Residents at the scene where a swarm of bees attacked a woman who was picking tea at Kivaruri village, Kanja area of Embu East on Thursday. [Joseph Muchiri, Standard]

A middle-aged woman was stung by bees to death as she picked tea at her farm in Kivaruri village, Kanja area of Embu East, on Thursday.

Rosemary Wanja unknowingly stepped on a swarm of bees that had nestled on the base of a tea bush.

Her screams caught the attention of neighbours whose attempts to rescue her were repulsed by the bees, which would attack them as they tried to reach her in the middle of the tea bushes.

A rescuer, Antony Njagi, said by the time they managed to reach her it was too late.

She was pronounced dead on arrival at Runyenjes Sub-county Hospital where she was rushed.

“We responded immediately we heard her screams, but it took us time to get to where she was. The bees were too many and violent and they thwarted our quick efforts. We had to wrap a blanket on some people to counter the bees," said Njagi, Wanja's nephew.

Scores of villagers who tried to help were also left with bee stings.

They said they had never seen a swarm of bees in the plantation.