6 People Killed By 'Killer Bees' After Bus Crashes into Hives In Nicaragua

In a tragic accident, a swarm of killer bees stings six people to death, including a mother and child, after a bus plunges into hives in Nicaragua.

The unfortunate incident happened during an hour-long journey from Jinotega to San Sebastian de Yali.

The bus skidded off the road and fell into a ravine, but tragically, after striking several hives, it roused a swarm of killer bees.

According to the New York Post, approximately 45 people were on board the bus when it reportedly suffered a mechanical problem, plunging 165 feet down the ravine, and ending up in a coffee plantation. All people survived the initial crash, but the bus disturbed a swarm of killer Africanized bees. The passengers were stung repeatedly by the angry insects, with six having reportedly succumbed to the attack.

The dead include Reyna Isabel Olivas Montalvan, 84; Santos Arnulfo Calderon Castellon, 38; Dilcia Flores Amparo, 32; and Kenia Jazmin Soza Bonilla, 19. Also among the dead were Eneyda Torrez Zelaya, 47, and her 8-year-old daughter, Andrea Carolina.

According to the Smithsonian, Cross-bred Africanized bees are considered to be much more harmful than single-breed honey bees since they may sting up to ten times more and react to disturbances ten times faster.

Africanized bees have caused more than 1,000 reported deaths in Brazil since 1950s, and have made their way north to countries including Nicaragua and the United States.