A swarm of 'killer bees' caused injuries to 150 people, with 50 needing hospital treatment.

An Easter event in the town of Penonome in Panama turned chaotic as a swarm of bees attacked the crowd, leaving dozens of people injured and 50 others hospitalized. This shocking incident occurred during the Via Crucis religious procession, also known as the Stations of the Cross ceremony, which is traditionally held on Good Friday to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. The swarm, composed of Africanised bees, also known as killer bees, descended upon the neighbourhood, causing panic and confusion among the residents.

The local fire department was called to the scene and shared footage on social media of the emergency response, with several vehicles lining the streets to assist the injured. According to reports from local outlet Destino Panama, even the priest who was leading the religious event was among those injured. The fire department also stated that this was not an isolated incident, as there have been several bee attacks in the region this year alone.

In fact, over 1,820 cases were recorded in just the first two months of the year. But what exactly are killer bees? According to the Natural History Museum, they are a hybrid strain of African and European honey bees, bred by Brazilian geneticist Dr Warwick E Kerr in 1956 with the goal of improving honey production in Brazil.

This hybrid species combines the European bees' ability to produce more honey with the African bees' adaptation to warmer climates. However, African honey bees are known to be more aggressive than their European counterparts, and this trait has been passed on to killer bees. While a single killer bee is no deadlier than any other honey bee, their reputation for being deadly comes from their defensive behavior when their nest is threatened.

When a European honey bee is in danger, only 10% of the colony will come out to defend it. But with killer bees, the entire nest is emptied and swarms of up to 800,000 bees can attack. With each sting, a pheromone is released, signaling for more bees to join the attack.

It is estimated that around 1,000 stings could be fatal to an adult human. However, it is important to note that killer bees do not attack without reason. They only use their stinging defense when they believe their colony is in danger.

It is essential to respect these creatures and their habitats to avoid such incidents from happening.