Around half a dozen police personnel were injured as swarm of bees suddenly attacked them during a Holi celebration organised by Jharkhand Police Association (JPA) at the residence of inspector general of police, Ranchi zone, at Doranda in Ranchi on Saturday.

Sources in JPA revealed that as per tradition, after a gap of nearly two years, Holi celebration had been organised at the residence of IG Ranchi on Saturday.

“The function was also attended by IG Ranchi Pankaj Kamboj and several other senior police officials. However, around noon when colours were being splashed accompanied by music, a swarm of bees from a bee hive on a tree inside the campus flew into the gathering and before anyone could realise, several persons had been stung by the bees. Several members of the association had to either take shelter inside the house or scamper outside the campus, while a few entered inside their four-wheelers to escape the bee attack,” said a member of the association who was present at the celebration.

Nearly six persons who had suffered injury in the bee attack had to be sent to nearby health centres for medical attention and were released later.

“The bee hives have been there on the trees inside the campus for several years. But this is the first time that they had attacked a celebration. Steps would now be taken to remove the bee hives from the trees seeking help from the fire brigade and Ranchi Municipal Corporation,” said the official.

Ranchi city SP Sourabh Kumar confirmed the incident. “The incident of bee attack happened at around noon during the Holi celebration. Nobody sustained any major injury,” said Kumar.

Freak mishap

A van crushed two women and injured five other persons in a freak mishap during Holi celebrations at Shri Banshidhar Nagar police station area of Garhwa district on Friday.

Kamoda Devi (40) and Sharda Devi (45) died on the spot, while the injured were rushed to the sub-divisional hospital from where the critically injured Rinku Kumari (10), Nagwanti Kumari (10) and Sanjhariya Devi (60) were referred to Garhwa Sadar Hospital for better treatment.

According to information, local residents had arranged a DJ from the neighbouring district of Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh for the Holi celebration. The DJ was mounted on a pickup van and was being played with full volume, while the local revellers were dancing to the songs in front of the van.

When the driver of the pickup van started the vehicle, he put his foot on the accelerator by mistake and the car moved forward at a high speed crushing the women and other persons before brakes could be applied.