Killer hornets: 8-year-old dies after being stung by a swarm of hornets

A group of children from a village in the western Malaysian state of Terengganu were playing when they were attacked by hornets. Most of the children managed to flee from the attack, but eight-year-old Nur Nazihah Mohd Sabri did not manage to escape. The small child died after being stung by the hornets at least 65 times. The other children survived the incident.

On Saturday, May 30, Nur had left her home at Felda Kerteh 4 in Dungun with a few other children to play. Nur was with her younger brother Muhamad Azib and their elder sister, as well as other children from the area. The children were playing near a hill when they managed to disturb a hornet's nest.

The hornets started chasing and stinging the children. They ran home to their families to escape the attack. When Nur's mother saw six-year-old Muhamad Azib covered in welts, she became worried. The children told their mother that they were being chased by hornets and Nur had not managed to run away from them.

Rohayu Mat Lazim went looking for Nur and found her stuck on a fence, according to The Sun. She managed to rescue the child and bring her back home. Rohayu rushed both Nur and her brother to a clinic after retrieving Nur.

According to the New Strait Times, the family first took the children to Ketengah Jaya Clinic. Medics at the clinic asked them to take the children to the district hospital. From Dungun Hospital, Nur was again transferred to another hospital. She was admitted to Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital at 9:17 pm local time.

Doctors at the hospital treated Nur and shifted her to the Intensive Care Unit. It was revealed that Nur had been stung around 65 times by the hornets. At around 1:30 am local time on Sunday, May 31, Nur was pronounced dead.

Nor Azimi Yunu, the Health Director of Terengganu, stated that the child died due to organ failure which was triggered by the toxins from the hornet stings.

The devastated 39-year-old mother said that the children had been warned to not to play in the area where they were attacked. Nur's brother recovered from the hornet stings.