A female City of Cape Town worker sustained serious injuries after she and a group of colleagues were attacked by a swarm of bees during a lawn mowing operation in Somerset West.
Emergency services were called to action following the incident in the Rome Glen residential area last Friday (14 March).
On enquiry, the City of Cape Town confirmed that a lawn-mowing team of 10 workers from the Somerset West depot were clearing the pathway through a bushy area along Romulus Street around 09:00 when the woman accidentally hit a beehive. Consequently, the bees attacked, stinging the woman all over her body, as well as inside her mouth.
“Other team members were also stung, but not as severely as the 34-year-old woman. Her entire face was swollen,” said Baydele Sibembe, one of the team members who was part of the lawn mowing operation and fortunately escaped the wrath of the bees.
Among the first respondents was emergency personnel of GB Med Rescue, who immediately offered on-scene treatment. The ambulance service crew, however, called on the assistance of other medical emergency services due to the significant number of workers who were stung.
The injured woman was transported to a local private hospital for further medical attention. On arrival, it is believed that she was immediately transferred from casualties to the intensive care unit due to the severity of her injuries.
It is also alleged that many of the other workers sought their own medical attention, transporting themselves to medical facilities, while others were left traumatised by the incident.
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Spokesperson for the City, Luthando Tyhalibongo, said that the necessary steps have been taken to ensure that the employees who were stung received medical attention and trauma counselling.
Tyhalibongo confirmed the lawn mowing operation was part of scheduled maintenance of the area.
“The presence of a beehive was not detected during a preliminary site inspection that was conducted before work commenced,” he said, further explaining that the team was also provided with personal protective equipment to perform their grass-cutting duties.
The City is awaiting feedback on the conditions of the other team members who were stung, however, Tyhalibango stated that it was reported that only the aforementioned woman was injured.
“At this stage, we are unable to provide further updates on her condition,” he added.
The City has since recruited a professional beekeeper to remove the hive and a follow-up inspection is being planned to mitigate any further potential risks considering the incident.
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