Chieko Kikuchi, 87, died after a swarm of giant hornets stung her 150 times in 50 minutes as she was being taken home from a nursing facility (file image)
Chieko Kikuchi, 87, was being taken back home from a nursing facility in western Ehime Prefecture when a swarm of the insects descended on her.
A carer, who was escorting her at the time, and paramedics who were called to the scene watched helplessly as she was stung 150 times in a 50-minute ordeal.
The carer initially tried to save Kikuchi herself but was unable to get through the swarm because it was too thick.
She called the nursing facility for help who dispatched paramedics to the scene.
However, the medics arrived without protective clothing because they were wrongly told Kikuchi had already been dragged to safety.
Kikuchi, who is wheelchair-bound, was being escorted by a carer who called for help. But when paramedics arrived they had no protective clothing so were forced to watch helplessly as Kikuchi was stung to death
The insects came from a nest that was attached to a building near the woman's home, according to the Japan Times.
The attack happened back in September but was only reported on Friday.
After the ordeal, which lasted around 50 minutes, the woman was rushed to hospital but died the following day, the firefighter said.
'It was an unusual operation for us,' he admitted.
A forestry agency official said hornets often attack people when their nests are affected.
'To avoid getting stung by hornets, you should keep away from their nests, wear protective jackets and use a wasp killer spray,' the agency official said.
Some 20 people die from hornets stings every year in Japan, according to public broadcaster NHK.
Reader Comments
In other words, they ran and left granny there!
The nest was beautiful though, just incredible.