Honeybees stall cremation, injure 30 pallbearers

At least 30 people were today injured after being stung by honeybees at a cremation ground in Thakurhaat village of Kendrapara district, police said.
The injured persons were attending cremation of a 66-year-old man but it was stalled for about three hours with bees wreaking havoc.
The injured persons are undergoing treatment in a hospital here and are stated to be out of danger.
The last rites of Gouranga Charan Sahu, a resident of Thakurhaat, were being performed at the cremation ground when the incident took place.
While his son Laxmidhar lit his father's funeral pyre, sparks of fire spread to a nearby tree which was home to a swarm of honeybees.

Agitated by this, the insects moved out of the beehive and attacked the bereaved people causing them to run, police said.
After order was restored with fire brigade personnel bringing the beehive down by spraying water, cremation could be resumed.