4 hospitalised, event shutdown as bee attack at Palmiste Park

AN event hosted by Rapidfire Kidz Foundation and Team Fast Parts at Palmiste Park on April 1 was shut down earlier than scheduled after four people were stung by bees.

The event was called Critters and Cars by the Playpark and featured a petting zoo and a car display among several other attractions.

Foundation president Kevin Ratiram said, “From what I saw, there appears there was a family, they appeared to be having a birthday party under a tree. It appears to be on the northeastern end (of the park). Maybe about 100 feet from the main road and it appears they were attacked by bees.”

Ratiram did not know whether the bees were in the tree close to where the party was taking place or in some other location when the incident happened.

Asked how many people were stung by the bees, Ratiram said, “I was present when two persons were taken for (medical) treatment by the EHS (Emergency Health Services).”

He added, “I can’t say in total how many people were affected but I could say for sure that two people were taken for treatment by EHS. An adult male and an adult female.”

The other people, an adult male and an adult female, were also stung by the bees.

Ratiram said the event’s organisers were not taking any chances of any further incident taking place.

“We have shut it down. We are taking the precaution to shut it down. We can’t take the chance of anyone else getting stung. So we shut it down about an hour and a half early.”

Ratiram said all of the patrons were advised to go home.

The event was supposed to run from 2-6.30 pm.

He said the Agriculture Ministry’s Forestry Division may have to look into this matter.