DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand has reported an alarming increase in deaths this year, attributed not only to attacks by tigers and leopards but also to conflicts involving wild bees and wasps.
In a tragic incident from Chitai Pant village, located 8 kilometers from the district headquarters of Almora, a swarm of wasps attacked a 34-year-old woman named Deepa Devi on Wednesday while she was cutting grass in the fields. The woman sustained severe injuries from the stings and was rushed to the hospital by her family. Unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries during treatment.
Forest officer Indra Martoliya described the incident, saying: "The wasps had severely stung the woman on her head, neck, face, and legs, leaving her critically injured and unconscious."
According to sources from the Forest Department, this marks the eighth reported death due to wasp attacks in the state in the month of November, across various regions of the state.
On November 16, a swarm of wasps attacked 52-year-old Devki Devi, a resident of Malli Bhatedi village, located 20 kilometers from the district headquarters in Pithoragarh. "She was severely injured while cutting grass and later succumbed to her injuries during treatment at the hospital," the sources reported.
Earlier this month, on November 9, a swarm of wasps attacked two brothers in Riayat village of the Jaunpur block in Tehri district. One brother lost his life, while the other sustained injuries.
According to reports, on the day of the incident, Surjan Singh and his brother Rai Singh had gone into the forest to graze their animals when they were attacked by a swarm of wasps. "Both brothers lost consciousness as a result of the attack," local sources stated.
Upon receiving the news, villagers and family members rushed to the forest. With their help, both brothers were transported to a hospital in Mussoorie using a private vehicle. Unfortunately, doctors declared 67-year-old Surjan Singh dead upon arrival.
It is important to note that this is not the first incident in the Jaunpur area. Just over a month ago, a similar attack occurred in the village of Tuneta, where a father and son were also fatally attacked by wasps.
Divisional Forest Officer of Mussoorie, Amit Kanwar, told TNIE, "This year, wasp attacks have been categorized under the wildlife category, making the families of those killed in such attacks eligible for compensation, similar to those killed in tiger or leopard attacks."
Regarding the recent wasp attacks in the Tehri region, DFO Kunwar added, "The compensation process is underway for the three victims who lost their lives in wasp attacks in November."