A 62-year-old male worker attached to the drainage and irrigation department of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council at Black Bush Polder, Corentyne was on Friday attacked and killed by bees in the backdam at Johanna, Black Bush Polder.
Dead is Sirpaul Hemraj, former Head of the Black Bush Water Users Association, and resident of Mibicuri South, Black Bush Polder.
Dead: Sirpaul Hemraj
Reports are that Hemraj left the Mibicuri NDC Office on his motorcycle in the company of two others, going to make checks on an excavator that was doing drainage works in the backdam.
Hemraj was sitting on his motorcycle while the other men were overseeing the work of the excavator when suddenly someone started to shout, “Bee!” Everyone began to run to safety, but Hemraj was left behind.
When the others returned to the location, they observed Hemraj lying on the ground covered in mud, with swellings about his body. He was rushed to the Mibicuri Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Hemraj is the third person to have died from a bee attack within two days in the region.
On Thursday, a 57-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman were killed during separate bee attacks in Berbice.
The first victim is John Sutherland of Eversham, Corentyne, Berbice, who was attacked by bees at around 12:20hrs in a rice field.
Reports are that Sutherland and two other men were on a tractor in the rice field.
While one of the men was ploughing the field, Sutherland and the other man were sitting on the tractor when suddenly a swarm of bees descended on them.
While the other men ran for safety, Sutherland was left behind, and was attacked by the bees.
After the insects had dispersed, the other men saw Sutherland’s motionless body lying on the ground. He was taken to his home, and then to the Skeldon Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
One of the men is currently receiving medical treatment for stings he received.
The other incident involved Dorothy Adams, a housewife of Rotterdam, East Bank Berbice, who went to make a purchase at a shop in the village at around 17:46hrs on Thursday.
Some ten minutes after she had left home, her husband was notified by a passerby that she had been stung by bees.
The husband went to his wife’s rescue, and she was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
