Birds and bees leave Singapore stung

Stings from bees are not usually dangerous, but in sufficient numbers they can trigger potentially fatal anaphylactic shock

SINGAPORE -- Six people required hospital treatment and a busy road intersection was closed to traffic after a swarm of bees went on the rampage in Singapore, reports said Wednesday.

According to the English-language Straits Times newspaper the bees were disturbed by birds pecking at their tree-top hive and took revenge on commuters traveling home from work late Monday afternoon.

During the attack at least four pedestrians were stung, the paper said -- two policemen who arrived at the scene shortly afterwards were also attacked.

Most required outpatient treatment although medical officials said two victims, including one of the policemen, had been kept in hospital for observation.

Police said several other passers-by had sought private medical treatment after encountering the bee's wrath.

With the angry swarm causing mounting havoc the area was closed to traffic for several hours.

Initial attempts by National Parks officials to remove the hive, reported to be about 1.5 meters in circumference, proved unsuccessful as they were unable to reach high enough into the tree.

Eventually members of the Civil Defence Force were called out, equipped with suitably long ladders, and the hive was destroyed.